Montana, North Dakota Senators call for legislation to improve cleanup of abandoned mines

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KUMV) – A number of senators together with Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., are calling for a listening to to enhance cleanup efforts of deserted mines.

They are saying present federal regulation leaves nonprofit organizations that wish to clear up the mines legally accountable for the air pollution, even when they’ve made the mines safer. The bipartisan Good Samaritan Remediation of Deserted Hardrock Mines Act would change that, making a pilot program giving nonprofits conditional exemptions.

In a letter despatched to the Senate Setting and Public Works Committee, the senators say: “There are over 140,000 deserted mine options on Federal, State, Tribal and personal lands which pose a danger to human well being and the setting, This Act begins to take away these hurdles to maximize the affect of the brand new deserted hardrock mine remediation program, each on the bottom and in communities.”

The laws has been supported by each environmental teams and the mining business such because the Nationwide Wildlife Federation and Nationwide Mining Affiliation.

The senators are requesting the committee maintain a listening to on the invoice to assist reclamation efforts transfer ahead.

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