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INHOFE WELCOMES ADMINISTRATION’S
GOOD SAMARITAN ANNOUNCEMENT
 
Calls on Senator Boxer to Support and Move Bi-partisan Bill to Help
Ensure the Clean-up of Abandoned Mines Across the United States
 
WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today welcomed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of new policies that will reduce legal uncertainties for Good Samaritans to help reclaim hardrock mine sites responsible for degrading water quality throughout the western United States.
 
“I welcome the Administration's announcement today and hope that it results in the restoration of some of the thousands of miles of streams impacted by abandoned mines,” Senator Inhofe said. “With the Administration taking the first step today, I call on Senator Boxer to support and move bi-partisan legislation passed out of the EPW Committee last year that had wide-ranging support of Senators Baucus, Reid, Salazar and Allard that would help promote and facilitate the cleanup of the estimated 500,000 abandoned hard-rock mines. Doing so would provide a major environmental victory for our country.”
 
As Chairman of the EPW Committee last year,  Senator Inhofe worked closely with Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) to craft compromise legislation that incorporated President Bush’s Good Samaritan bill and Good Samaritan legislation co-sponsored by Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO)  that would help facilitate the cleanup of thousands of abandoned hard-rock mines across the Western United States. The Good Samaritan bill passed out of the EPW Committee had broad support by groups such as Trout Unlimited and National Mining Association.
 
Related Material:
 
PRESS RELEASE: EPW COMMITTEE PASSES BI-PARTISAN GOOD SAMARITAN LEGISLATION
PRESS RELEASE: INHOFE INTRODUCES PRESIDENT BUSH’S “GOOD SAMARITAN CLEAN WATERSHED ACT”
EPW COMMITTEE HEARING: OVERSIGHT HEARING TO CONSIDER WHETHER POTENTIAL LIABILITY DETERS ABANDONED HARD ROCK MINE CLEAN-UP (06/14/2006)
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