FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kenna O’Neill — koneill@miningamerica.org
AEMA Applauds Senators Risch, Heinrich, Kelly and Lummis for their Leadership
WASHINGTON, DC - Today in Washington, D.C., the full Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a business meeting in which they advanced several pieces of legislation. Among those the committee approved is S. 2781, the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act, which cleared the committee by voice vote. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
“We are very encouraged by this positive step in the process,” said American Exploration & Mining Association Executive Director Mark Compton. “The mining industry has the desire, the experience, the technology, the expertise and the capital to remediate and reclaim AMLs. Good Samaritan legislation makes sense and can be a win-win-win-win: for the environment, the Good Samaritan, the community, and for society. We applaud Senator Risch and Senator Heinrich for their continued leadership on this issue, Senators Kelly and Lummis for their work in committee, and we’re also grateful for the strong bipartisan support from our many cosponsors.”
For more than two decades, AEMA has been working on this issue with industry allies and conservation groups to carefully craft the compromise legislation represented in S. 2781, authorizing a pilot project program that provides limited liability protections to interested parties that have no legal or financial responsibility for an abandoned mine but have the expertise, funding, and willingness to undertake remediation activities.
AEMA submitted a letter of support for Good Sam to committee leadership ahead of the hearing, and worked with Heinrich and Rish staff to address concerns and questions from EPW members and staff, and from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
About AEMA: American Exploration & Mining Association is a 129 year old, 1,800 member, national association representing the minerals industry. With members in 46 states, AEMA is the recognized national voice for exploration, the junior mining sector, maintaining access to public lands, and represents the entire mining life cycle, from exploration through production to reclamation and closure.