(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate; 
(B) the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate; 
(C) the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works of the Senate; 
(D) the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; 
(E) the Committee on Indian Affairs of the 
Senate; 
(F) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives; 
(G) the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives; 
(H) the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; 
(I) the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(J) the Committee on Oversight and Ac-
countability of the House of Representatives. 
(3) CLEANUP ACTION.—The term ‘‘cleanup ac-
tion’’ means 1 or more actions taken to address con-
taminated media at a covered mine site pursuant to 
1 or more existing authorities of the Administrator, 
including— 
(A) the Comprehensive Environmental Re-
sponse, Compensation, and Liability Act of 
1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.); 
(B) the Good Samaritan Remediation of 
Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 (30 
U.S.C. 1245 note; Public Law 118–155); 
(C) the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 
U.S.C. 6901 et seq.); 
(D) the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); and 
(E) any other existing authority of the Ad-
ministrator. 
(4) COVERED MINE SITE.—The term ‘‘covered 
mine site’’ means the land, water, and surrounding 
watersheds where extraction, beneficiation, or proc-
essing of hardrock ores or minerals occurred, but 
has been discontinued, including discontinued tem-
porarily. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(5) INDIAN COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Indian coun-
try’’ has the meaning given the term in section 1151 
of title 18, United States Code. 
(6) NAVAJO
NATION
ABANDONED
URANIUM 
MINE SITE.—The term ‘‘Navajo Nation abandoned 
uranium mine site’’ means an abandoned uranium 
covered mine site on land of the Navajo Nation. 
(7) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the Of-
fice of Mountains, Deserts, and Plains established by 
subsection (b)(1). 
(8) REGIONAL
OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Regional 
Office’’ means a Regional Office of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established within 
the office of the Environmental Protection Agency 
that administers solid waste programs the Office of 
Mountains, Deserts, and Plains. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The Office shall be headed by 
a Director, to be selected by the Administrator (or 
a designee). 
(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Office shall 
be— 
(1) to coordinate between the headquarters of 
the Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Of-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
fices, and stakeholders on cleanup actions of the En-
vironmental Protection Agency at a covered mine 
site, including a covered mine site in Indian country, 
in accordance with Federal law; 
(2) to establish and disseminate best practices 
for covered mine site cleanup actions, including iden-
tifying— 
(A) innovative technologies and reuse ap-
proaches that support and make progress to-
ward those cleanup actions; and 
(B) waste storage and disposal solutions; 
(3) to coordinate among the headquarters of 
the Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Of-
fices, Federal land management agencies, States, In-
dian Tribes, and voluntary nongovernmental organi-
zations, watershed groups, nonliable entities and 
mining companies, and other entities on voluntary 
cleanup actions at covered mine sites, where applica-
ble, including timely issuance of administrative guid-
ance for nonliable parties; 
(4) to coordinate within the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency and with other Federal agencies to 
encourage contracting opportunities for small busi-
nesses to participate in cleanup actions at covered 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
mine sites, consistent with applicable Federal pro-
curement authorities; 
(5) to coordinate with the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of 
Energy, the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other 
Federal agencies, as the Administrator determines to 
be appropriate, to ensure interagency coordination of 
covered mine site cleanup actions, with priority given 
to coordinating cleanup actions at covered mine sites 
for which there is no potentially responsible party; 
and 
(6) to coordinate other actions as the Adminis-
trator determines to be appropriate, pursuant to ex-
isting authorities of the Administrator— 
(A) to support efforts to investigate, char-
acterize, or clean up a discharge, release, or 
threat of release of a hazardous substance, pol-
lutant, or contaminant into the environment at 
or from a covered mine site; or 
(B) to establish best practices to protect 
and improve human health and the environment 
and implement appropriate reuse options, in-
cluding through the use of innovative tech-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
nologies to recover valuable resources from cov-
ered mine site features or areas, as applicable. 
(d) DUTIES.—The Administrator shall carry out 
through the Office, at a minimum, the following duties: 
(1) PRIORITY MINE LIST.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Annually, the Adminis-
trator shall identify covered mine sites that are 
prioritized for cleanup actions, which may in-
clude covered mine sites that are or are not in-
cluded on the National Priorities List developed 
by the President in accordance with section 
105(a)(8)(B) of the Comprehensive Environ-
mental Response, Compensation, and Liability 
Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9605(a)(8)(B)). 
(B) CREATION
OF
LIST; REPORTS.—The 
Administrator shall annually— 
(i) create a list of covered mine sites 
identified under subparagraph (A); and 
(ii) submit to the appropriate commit-
tees of Congress a report describing— 
(I) the methodology used to iden-
tify those covered mine sites under 
that subparagraph; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(II) the status of cleanup actions 
carried out at covered mine sites on 
the list. 
(C) COORDINATION.—The Administrator 
shall— 
(i) regularly coordinate with Regional 
Offices, Federal agencies, States, Indian 
Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and 
stakeholders to update the list of covered 
mine sites identified under subparagraph 
(A); and 
(ii) regularly coordinate with Regional 
Offices on cleanup actions and share best 
practices with respect to each covered mine 
site identified under subparagraph (A). 
(2) PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall, pursuant to existing authorities of the 
Administrator— 
(i) identify best practices for devel-
oping, reviewing, and approving site as-
sessments, remedial investigations, and 
feasibility studies for covered mine sites; 
(ii) coordinate research relating to 
technologies and cleanup approaches that 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
are the most successful in limiting the 
acute and chronic risks posed to human 
health and the environment by covered 
mine sites; and 
(iii) support— 
(I) 
government-to-government 
consultations with Indian Tribes with 
respect to a covered mine site located 
within Indian country; and 
(II) efforts to provide regular up-
dates to the Tribal governments in-
volved in cleanup actions for a covered 
mine site located on Tribal land under 
the jurisdiction of the Indian Tribe. 
(B) 
TRIBAL
CONSULTATION.—In 
sup-
porting consultations with Indian Tribes under 
subparagraph (A)(iii)(I), the Administrator, in 
addition to existing applicable law and guid-
ance, shall— 
(i) as appropriate, invite potentially 
responsible 
parties, 
including 
Federal 
agencies, to participate in government-to- 
government 
consultations 
with 
Indian 
Tribes; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:43 Jun 13, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(ii) as appropriate, consult with Alas-
ka Native Corporations in accordance with 
section 161 of division H of the Consoli-
dated Appropriations Act, 2004 (25 U.S.C. 
5301 note; Public Law 108–199); and 
(iii) as appropriate, ensure consulta-
tions with Tribal allottees occur pursuant 
to section 2 of the Act of February 5, 
1948 (62 Stat. 18, chapter 45; 25 U.S.C. 
324). 
(3) INTERAGENCY PLANS FOR URANIUM CON-
TAMINATION ON THE NAVAJO NATION; REPORTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2028, and not less frequently than 
once every 10 years thereafter, the Adminis-
trator, in cooperation with other relevant Fed-
eral agencies, including, at a minimum, the De-
partment of Energy, the Nuclear Energy Regu-
latory Commission, the Department of the Inte-
rior, the Indian Health Service, and the Agency 
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and 
in consultation with affected Tribal govern-
ments, shall develop a 10-year interagency plan 
for the coordination of the Federal Government 
with States and Tribal governments to carry 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
out cleanup actions at Navajo Nation aban-
doned uranium mine sites, including— 
(i) goals for the assessment of, and 
cleanup actions at, Navajo Nation aban-
doned uranium mine sites; 
(ii) target dates by which goals de-
scribed in clause (i) are anticipated to be 
achieved, subject to appropriations and 
funding from potentially responsible par-
ties; 
(iii) the projected appropriations nec-
essary to achieve goals described in clause 
(i) by the target dates described in clause 
(ii); and 
(iv) the activities to be carried out by 
each Federal agency under the plan. 
(B) REPORTS.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date on which a plan is developed 
under subparagraph (A), the Administrator 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report describing the applicable 
plan. 
(4) ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL ASSIST-
ANCE.—The Administrator shall, pursuant to exist-
ing authorities of the Administrator, provide to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
States, units of local government, Indian Tribes, and 
other entities technical assistance with respect to 
cleanup actions on covered mine sites. 
(e) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.—Nothing in this section— 
(1) provides the Administrator with new regu-
latory authority not already established in law; or 
(2) shall be interpreted as establishing a default 
standard or authority to be used for cleanup actions 
at covered mine sites, including the definition of 
‘‘cleanup action’’ in subsection (a). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:06 Jun 05, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3713.IH
H3713
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB