Help pass Good Sam legislation to catalyze abandoned mine cleanups

Together we can clean up abandoned mines, but Congress must act to protect Good Samaritans so they can get to work.

TAKE ACTION

Good Samaritans and abandoned mine cleanup

Trout Unlimited’s restoration specialists know how to leverage public and private dollars to fix degraded streams, creating jobs, and clean water along the way. We are eager to take on leaking abandoned mines, but under Federal law, groups who have no legal responsibility or connection to an abandoned mine (e.g. Good Samaritans) are deterred from cleaning up these messes due to the incredible liability risks. 

We can solve this conundrum by passing legislation that provides bona fide Good Samaritans liability protections while also holding them accountable to terms of their permits. Abandoned mines are a big problem, but with a little help from Congress, they are a problem we can tackle. 

Take Action

Abandoned mines affect fish habitat & drinking water

Approximately 110,000 miles of streams – enough to circle the Earth four times – are listed as impaired for heavy metals or acidity. Abandoned mines are a major source of these impairments. Of these impaired stream miles, 20% are within subwatersheds that contain native trout and salmon while 52% are in subwatersheds that are important drinking water sources. Billions have been spent cleaning up these leaking abandoned mines, but there is much more work to do. Abandoned mines are a big problem, but with a little help from Congress they are a problem we can tackle by passing Good Samaritan legislation.

Learn more

• On mine cleanups, it’s long past time
• ‘No constituency for orange rivers’
• A case study for abandoned mine cleanups