PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12001-12002)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Sep 25, 2003
Good Samaritan Abandoned and Inactive Mine Remediation Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the head of an authorized State program to issue an abandoned or inactive mine remediation permit for the conduct of remediation activities on abandoned or inactive mine land from which there is or may be a discharge of pollutants to U.S. bodies of water.
Requires those applying for a remediation permit to develop a remediation plan that includes: (1) reasonable efforts to identify the current owners of the mine in question; (2) the bodies of water affected; (3) proposed practices to mitigate adverse impacts on water quality; (4) a timetable; and (5) monitoring or other forms of assessment so that the success of the plan can be evaluated.
Requires any profits from the sale of minerals taken from these mines during remediation to be deposited in a remediation fund.
States that remediators are not to be considered owners or operators under specified environmental acts (thereby excluding them from liability for environmental clean up.)
People & committees
Sen. Campbell, Ben Nighthorse [R-CO] · R–CO
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S12001-12002)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12000-12001)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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