Biden signs bill that could clean up old Nevada mines
President Joe Biden signed the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act into law on Wednesday to clean up the Silver State’s 200,000 abandoned mines that pollute waterways and have killed explorers.
The law will allow for nonprofits and state agencies across the country, or “Good Samaritans,” to seal off abandoned hardrock mines without having to assume financial and legal responsibility for existing pollution. It will create a pilot program under the Environmental Protection Agency for qualified groups to begin with up to 15 low-risk mines.
“For 25 years, bills like this one to clean up these mines have stalled because of Washington politics,” bill co-sponsor Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., said in a statement. “Today, we made history by finally empowering nonprofits and agencies that are willing and able to assist this long overdue clean up.”
Nevada has the most abandoned mines of any state in the country. Since 1961, 19 people have died in these mine sites and 24 people have been injured, according to state records.
“Because of commonsense bipartisanship, our nation is now on a path to cleaner waters and safer landscapes,” Lee added.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X and @alanhalaly.bsky.social on Bluesky.
