Outdoor Businesses Ask Congress to Pass ‘Good Samaritan’ Bill to Clean Up Abandoned Mines

Legislation needed to remove liability hurdles that prevent state organizations and agencies from clearing abandoned mine drainage

ARLINGTON, Va.—Today, a coalition of 59 fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation companies urged Congress to pass the bipartisan law Good Samaritan Law for the Remediation of Abandoned Hard Rock Mines (S. 3571), legislation sponsored by US Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and James Risch (R-ID). The bill has 14 co-sponsors, seven Republicans and seven Democrats, and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

The legislation would establish a new pilot program under the Environmental Protection Agency to provide limited liability protections for state agencies and volunteer groups qualified to clean up abandoned hard rock mines, an estimated 22,500 of which pose environmental risks. The bill has 14 co-sponsors, seven Republicans and seven Democrats, and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

“The fly fishing industry is built on clean water and we need all the help we can get to tackle this huge problem,” he said. Whitney Tilt, executive director of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) Fish Fund, the organization’s conservation and management arm that advances the business interests of more than 1,000 members. the Good Samaritan Law for the Remediation of Abandoned Hard Rock Mines it must become law or abandoned mines that could otherwise be cleaned up will continue to dump their toxic brew into our rivers and streams. Volunteers are ready to clean up these sites. All they need is for Congress to act on clean water.”

The group’s letter noted that, “Everything from commercial river recreation to rafting, kayaking, wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing and more depends on the cool, clean waters that rush through our streams and rivers and fill our wetlands and lakes. Unfortunately, many miles of those waterways are damaged by pollution from abandoned mines.”

“Abandoned mines are one of the most pressing and yet unaddressed water quality problems in the country. These sites pollute watersheds across the country, affecting everything from small headwater streams in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains to famous fishing destinations like the Arakansas River in Colorado. Abandoned mines are a big problem, but with a little help from Congress, it’s a problem we can start to fix,” he said. Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods based in Montrose, CO.

An analysis by Trout Unlimited found that more than 110,000 miles of streams are listed as impaired by heavy metals and/or acidity, with abandoned mines a major source of these impairments due to acid mine drainage.

“Good Samaritan legislation is desperately needed to help address the negative impacts of poor water quality emanating from legacy mining sites throughout the West. Outdoor recreation businesses like ours rely on healthy public lands and clean rivers to support not only the outdoor recreation economy, but our way of life,” he said. Mark Deming, director of marketing for Northwest River Supply (NRS), an Idaho-based employee-owned company that is the world’s leading manufacturer of rowing sports equipment and apparel. “With tens of thousands of abandoned mine sites polluting the environment, we need every arrow in the quiver to tackle this massive problem, including the Good Samaritan. We urge members of Congress to hold a hearing on the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hard Rock Mines Acty act quickly to pass the bill.”

Federal laws treat volunteers who want to clean up abandoned mines, including state agencies and private nonprofit groups, as if they were the same polluters who created the mine waste. This creates huge obstacles to cleaning up abandoned mines, including complicated permitting and long-term legal and financial liability for remaining mine contamination. The letter urges members of Congress to “redouble efforts to pass this vital legislation in the 117the Congress.”

“A legal catch-22 has stalled mine clearances for too long. Fortunately, there is a common-sense, bipartisan solution before Congress to solve this conundrum,” he said. Diane Bristol, Vice President of Community and Culture at Simms Fishing Products, a fishing gear manufacturer with more than 170 employees in Bozeman, MT. “At Simms we believe that we must work collectively to protect our waters and fisheries for future generations. Good Samaritan associations embody our conservation philosophy and we fully support this legislation. We are optimistic that Congress will act so that we can work together to clean up abandoned mines.”

In addition to gaining the endorsement of outdoor businesses, S.3571 has been endorsed by Trout Unlimited, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Property and Environment Research Center, National Deer Association, National Wildlife Federation, National Mining Association, American Exploration and Mining Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Izaak Walton League of America, and Outdoor Alliance.

“Good Samaritan legislation is desperately needed to help address the negative impacts of poor water quality emanating from legacy mining sites throughout the West. Outdoor recreation businesses like ours rely on healthy public lands and clean rivers to support not only the outdoor recreation economy, but our way of life,” he said. Mark Deming, director of marketing for Northwest River Supply (NRS), an Idaho-based employee-owned company that is the world’s leading manufacturer of rowing sports equipment and apparel. “With tens of thousands of abandoned mine sites polluting the environment, we need every arrow in the quiver to tackle this massive problem, including the Good Samaritan. We urge members of Congress to hold a hearing on the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hard Rock Mines Acty act quickly to pass the bill.”

Federal laws treat volunteers who want to clean up abandoned mines, including state agencies and private nonprofit groups, as if they were the same polluters who created the mine waste. This creates huge obstacles to cleaning up abandoned mines, including complicated permitting and long-term legal and financial liability for remaining mine contamination. The letter urges members of Congress to “redouble efforts to pass this vital legislation in the 117the Congress.”

“A legal catch-22 has stalled mine clearances for too long. Fortunately, there is a common-sense, bipartisan solution before Congress to solve this conundrum,” he said. Diane Bristol, Vice President of Community and Culture at Simms Fishing Products, a fishing gear manufacturer with more than 170 employees in Bozeman, MT. “At Simms we believe that we must work collectively to protect our waters and fisheries for future generations. Good Samaritan associations embody our conservation philosophy and we fully support this legislation. We are optimistic that Congress will act so that we can work together to clean up abandoned mines.”

In addition to gaining the endorsement of outdoor businesses, S.3571 has been endorsed by Trout Unlimited, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Property and Environment Research Center, National Deer Association, National Wildlife Federation, National Mining Association, American Exploration and Mining Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Izaak Walton League of America, and Outdoor Alliance.