Good Samaritan letter to EPA
Mining has played an important role in the history and settlement of Colorado. But irresponsible mining in years past has taken its toll on the state with over 7,000 abandoned hardrock mines in Colorado alone polluting many of our watersheds. On June 13, 2011, I urged the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lisa Jackson, to update and improve EPA’s tools for helping third-party groups clean up pollution from abandoned hardrock mines. These groups, so-called Good Samaritans, want to improve water quality impaired by abandoned mine pollution but are stymied by legal obstacles. I also urged the EPA to clear up confusion about the legal protections offered by its administrative tools. Read my letter.
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