House GOP lawmakers are eyeing possible "Good Samaritan" legislation to provide environmental liability relief to volunteer parties who clean up abandoned hardrock mines, a concept that has backing from states, industry and environmental groups, although they disagree on whether the liability relief would be enough to spur significant amounts of cleanup or how such remediation should be funded. At an Oct. 21 House Transportation & Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee hearing on abandoned mines and opportunities for Good Samaritan cleanups, subcommittee Chairman Bob Gibbs (R-OH) lamented that concerns over liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) have deterred parties from volunteering to clean up abandoned mines.
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