WASHINGTON, D.C. — The bipartisan Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act, which heads to the president’s desk following its final passage, will help clean up abandoned hardrock mines to benefit wildlife, public lands and waters, local communities, and the outdoor recreation economy. The bill creates a narrow pilot program, allowing carefully-vetted conservation and other groups to undertake cleanup projects with protection from liability risks that have hampered cleanup efforts in the past.  

“Abandoned hardrock mines have contaminated our public lands and poisoned the waters that wildlife and people alike rely upon. The Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act will allow conservation organizations and other community groups to put this toxic legacy behind us,” said Abby Tinsley, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “The National Wildlife Federation appreciates the strong bipartisan leadership that delivered on this long-overdue initiative and looks forward to President Joe Biden signing this historic win for people and wildlife into law.”