IB 
Union Calendar No. 703 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7779 
[Report No. 118–823, Part I] 
To promote remediation of abandoned hardrock mines, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 21, 2024 
Ms. MALOY (for herself, Mrs. PELTOLA, Mr. CURTIS, Ms. LEE of Nevada, Mr. 
FULCHER, Mr. COSTA, and Mr. MOORE of Utah) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, 
and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
DECEMBER 6, 2024 
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with an 
amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
DECEMBER 6, 2024 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged 
DECEMBER 6, 2024 
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, extended for period ending 
not later than December 19, 2024 
DECEMBER 11, 2024 
Additional sponsors: Ms. PETTERSEN, Mr. OWENS, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. 
HORSFORD, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, 
Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. AMODEI, Ms. TITUS, Mrs. BOEBERT, Mr. CROW, Mr. 
NEHLS, Mr. BEAN of Florida, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, 
Mr. FONG, Mrs. SYKES, Mr. STAUBER, Mrs. LESKO, Mr. VASQUEZ, Mr. 
SCHIFF, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. CARAVEO, Mr. CRANE, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. STANTON, and 
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania 
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DECEMBER 11, 2024 
Committee on Natural Resources discharged; committed to the Committee of 
the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 21, 2024] 
A BILL 
To promote remediation of abandoned hardrock mines, and 
for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Good Samaritan Reme-
diation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ABANDONED HARDROCK MINE SITE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘abandoned 
hardrock mine site’’ means an abandoned or in-
active hardrock mine site and any facility asso-
ciated with an abandoned or inactive hardrock 
mine site— 
(i) that was used for the production of 
a mineral other than coal conducted on 
Federal land under sections 2319 through 
2352 of the Revised Statutes (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Mining Law of 1872’’; 30 
U.S.C. 22 et seq.) or on non-Federal land; 
and 
(ii) for which, based on information 
supplied by the Good Samaritan after re-
view of publicly available data and after re-
view of other information in the possession 
of the Administrator, the Administrator or, 
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in the case of a site on land owned by the 
United States, the Federal land manage-
ment agency, determines that no responsible 
owner or operator has been identified— 
(I) who is potentially liable for, or 
has been required to perform or pay 
for, environmental remediation activi-
ties under applicable law; and 
(II) other than, in the case of a 
mine site located on land owned by the 
United States, a Federal land manage-
ment agency that has not been involved 
in mining activity on that land, except 
that the approval of a plan of oper-
ations under the hardrock mining reg-
ulations of the applicable Federal land 
management agency shall not be con-
sidered involvement in the mining ac-
tivity. 
(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘abandoned 
hardrock mine site’’ includes a hardrock mine 
site (including associated facilities) that was 
previously the subject of a completed response ac-
tion under the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 
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1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) or a similar Fed-
eral and State reclamation or cleanup program, 
including the remediation of mine-scarred land 
under the brownfields revitalization program 
under section 104(k) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
9604(k)). 
(C) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘abandoned 
hardrock mine site’’ does not include a mine site 
(including associated facilities)— 
(i) in a temporary shutdown or ces-
sation; 
(ii) included on the National Priorities 
List developed by the President in accord-
ance with section 105(a)(8)(B) of the Com-
prehensive Environmental Response, Com-
pensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 
U.S.C. 9605(a)(8)(B)) or proposed for in-
clusion on that list; 
(iii) that is the subject of a planned or 
ongoing response action under the Com-
prehensive Environmental Response, Com-
pensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 
U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) or a similar Federal 
and State reclamation or cleanup program; 
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(iv) that has a responsible owner or 
operator; or 
(v) that actively mined or processed 
minerals after December 11, 1980. 
(2) 
ADMINISTRATOR.—The 
term 
‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(3) APPLICABLE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS.— 
The term ‘‘applicable water quality standards’’ means 
the water quality standards promulgated by the Ad-
ministrator or adopted by a State or Indian tribe 
and approved by the Administrator pursuant to the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 
et seq.). 
(4) BASELINE CONDITIONS.—The term ‘‘baseline 
conditions’’ means the concentrations, locations, and 
releases of any hazardous substances, pollutants, or 
contaminants, as described in the Good Samaritan 
permit, present at an abandoned hardrock mine site 
prior to undertaking any action under this Act. 
(5) COOPERATING PERSON.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘cooperating 
person’’ means any person that is named by the 
Good Samaritan in the permit application as a 
cooperating entity. 
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(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘cooperating 
person’’ does not include— 
(i) a responsible owner or operator 
with respect to the abandoned hardrock 
mine site described in the permit applica-
tion; 
(ii) a person that had a role in the cre-
ation of historic mine residue at the aban-
doned hardrock mine site described in the 
permit application; or 
(iii) a Federal agency. 
(6) COVERED PERMIT.—The term ‘‘covered per-
mit’’ means— 
(A) a Good Samaritan permit; and 
(B) an investigative sampling permit. 
(7) FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY.—The 
term ‘‘Federal land management agency’’ means any 
Federal agency authorized by law or Executive order 
to exercise jurisdiction, custody, or control over land 
owned by the United States. 
(8) GOOD SAMARITAN.—The term ‘‘Good Samar-
itan’’ means a person that, with respect to historic 
mine residue, as determined by the Administrator— 
(A) is not a past or current owner or oper-
ator of— 
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(i) the abandoned hardrock mine site 
at which the historic mine residue is lo-
cated; or 
(ii) a portion of that abandoned 
hardrock mine site; 
(B) had no role in the creation of the his-
toric mine residue; and 
(C) is not potentially liable under any Fed-
eral, State, Tribal, or local law for the remedi-
ation, treatment, or control of the historic mine 
residue. 
(9) GOOD SAMARITAN PERMIT.—The term ‘‘Good 
Samaritan permit’’ means a permit granted by the 
Administrator under section 4(a)(1). 
(10) HISTORIC MINE RESIDUE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘historic mine 
residue’’ means mine residue or any condition at 
an abandoned hardrock mine site resulting from 
hardrock mining activities. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘historic mine 
residue’’ includes— 
(i) previously mined ores and minerals 
other than coal that contribute to acid mine 
drainage or other pollution; 
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(ii) equipment (including materials in 
equipment); 
(iii) any tailings facilities, heap leach 
piles, dump leach piles, waste rock, overbur-
den, slag piles, or other waste or material 
resulting from any extraction, beneficiation, 
or other processing activity that occurred 
during the active operation of an aban-
doned hardrock mine site; 
(iv) any acidic or otherwise polluted 
flow in surface water or groundwater that 
originates from, or is pooled and contained 
in, an inactive or abandoned hardrock mine 
site, such as underground workings, open 
pits, in-situ leaching operations, ponds, or 
impoundments; 
(v) any hazardous substance (as de-
fined in section 101 of the Comprehensive 
Environmental 
Response, 
Compensation, 
and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 
9601)); 
(vi) any pollutant or contaminant (as 
defined in section 101 of the Comprehensive 
Environmental 
Response, 
Compensation, 
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and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 
9601)); and 
(vii) any pollutant (as defined in sec-
tion 502 of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362)). 
(11) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in— 
(A) section 518(h) of the Federal Water Pol-
lution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1377(h)); or 
(B) section 101 of the Comprehensive Envi-
ronmental Response, Compensation, and Liabil-
ity Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601). 
(12) INVESTIGATIVE
SAMPLING
PERMIT.—The 
term ‘‘investigative sampling permit’’ means a permit 
granted by the Administrator under section 4(d)(1). 
(13) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means any 
entity described in— 
(A) section 502(5) of the Federal Water Pol-
lution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362(5)); or 
(B) section 101(21) of the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Li-
ability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601(21)). 
(14) REMEDIATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘remediation’’ 
means any action taken to investigate, charac-
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terize, or cleanup, in whole or in part, a dis-
charge, release, or threat of release of a haz-
ardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant into 
the environment at or from an abandoned 
hardrock mine site, or to otherwise protect and 
improve human health and the environment. 
(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘remediation’’ 
includes any action to remove, treat, or contain 
historic mine residue to prevent, minimize, or 
reduce— 
(i) the release or threat of release of a 
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contami-
nant that would harm human health or the 
environment; or 
(ii) a migration or discharge of a haz-
ardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant 
that would harm human health or the envi-
ronment. 
(C) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘remediation’’ 
does not include any action that requires plug-
ging, opening, or otherwise altering the portal or 
adit of the abandoned hardrock mine site. 
(15) RESERVATION.—The term ‘‘reservation’’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘‘Indian country’’ in sec-
tion 1151 of title 18, United States Code. 
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(1) except as provided in section 4(n), reduces 
any existing liability under Federal, State, or local 
law; 
(2) except as provided in section 4(n), releases 
any person from liability under Federal, State, or 
local law, except in compliance with this Act; 
(3) authorizes the conduct of any mining or 
processing other than the conduct of any processing of 
previously mined ores, minerals, wastes, or other ma-
terials that is authorized by a Good Samaritan per-
mit; 
(4) imposes liability on the United States or a 
Federal land management agency pursuant to section 
107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 
9607) or section 301 of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1311); or 
(5) relieves the United States or any Federal 
land management agency from any liability under 
section 107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Re-
sponse, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 
U.S.C. 9607) or section 301 of the Federal Water Pol-
lution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1311) that exists apart 
from any action undertaken pursuant to this Act. 
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(A) the nature and scope of the proposed re-
mediation activities, including— 
(i) any historic mine residue to be ad-
dressed by the remediation plan; and 
(ii) a description of the goals of the re-
mediation including, if applicable, with re-
spect to— 
(I) the reduction or prevention of 
a release, threat of release, or discharge 
to surface waters; or 
(II) other appropriate goals relat-
ing to water or soil; 
(B) each activity that the person proposes to 
take that is— 
(i) designed to— 
(I) improve or enhance water 
quality or site-specific soil or sediment 
quality relevant to the historic mine 
residue addressed by the remediation 
plan, including making measurable 
progress toward achieving applicable 
water quality standards; or 
(II) 
otherwise 
protect 
human 
health and the environment (including 
through the prevention of a release, dis-
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