Congresswoman Lee, Trout Unlimited, Nevada Division of Minerals Celebrate New Law to Clean Up Toxic Mines
ABOVE (L to R): Rob Ghiglieri, Rep. Susie Lee, and Corey Fisher at Arden Gypsum Mine
Click HERE to DOWNLOAD a VIDEO of the press conference
Click HERE for video of the Arden Gypsum Mine before and during remediation (credit: Nevada Division of Mineral Resources)
LAS VEGAS – Today, at the abandoned and remediated Arden Gypsum Mine in Enterprise, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined water conservation nonprofit Trout Unlimited and the Nevada Division of Minerals to celebrate the bipartisan Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act, or “Good Sam legislation,” she championed being signed into law. The Good Sam legislation will help cut red tape to empower state and local agencies and nonprofits — like Trout Unlimited — to clean up toxic abandoned hardrock mines in Nevada and across the country that are polluting water and are hazardous landscapes.
Lee led the Good Sam legislation with Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (UT-2), which was endorsed by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo.
Lee was joined today by Trout Unlimited Public Land Policy Director Corey Fisher, Nevada Division of Minerals Administrator Rob Ghiglieri, and Nevada Division of Minerals Deputy Administrator Garrett Wake.
There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned hardrock mines scattered throughout the country, particularly concentrated in the American West — with an estimated 300,000 historic mining-related features and sites located in Nevada alone. Many of these sites pose direct risks to human health, the environment, and tribal lands, sending mercury, arsenic, lead and other toxic materials into Western waters and communities in addition to the physical dangers they present.
The Good Sam Law:
- Allows state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations that have no legal or financial responsibility for these abandoned hardrock hazards to volunteer to clean up sites.
- Will create a new, carefully crafted pilot program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for qualified Good Samaritan organizations to begin remediating up to 15 low-risk abandoned hardrock mine sites.
- Prevents Good Samaritan organizations from the risk of incurring the same liability that would have applied to the original and often long-defunct polluters who can no longer be held to account.
- Before this law, red tape and liabilities had deterred would-be Good Samaritans from moving ahead with cleanup efforts, but there will still be backstops to prevent further environmental harm through Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Clean Water Act enforcement.
“Mining fueled Nevada’s statehood and economic growth, but now we’re left with thousands of abandoned mines that are poisoning our waters, threatening Tribal lands, and injuring and killing trespassers,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “Our new Good Sam law will finally empower nonprofits and agencies that are willing and able to assist this long overdue clean up.”
“Clean water and healthy fish and wildlife habitat are values that unite us,” said Corey Fisher, Public Policy Director at Trout Unlimited. “For too long, toxic hardrock mine waste has polluted rivers, causing downstream impacts to communities and fisheries. Thanks to the leadership of Representative Lee and a bipartisan coalition who worked tirelessly to pass Good Samaritan legislation, state agencies and groups like Trout Unlimited will be able to help turn the tide and begin restoring clean water to watersheds across the West.”
“The State of Nevada is excited to partner with industry and work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and submit multiple project proposals for the new Good Samaritan Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) pilot project program,” said Rob Ghiglieri, Administrator of the Nevada Division of Minerals. “We applaud Congresswoman Lee in her efforts to ensure the passage of the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 and look forward to continued collaboration with her and the rest of the Nevada congressional delegation to secure additional hardrock AML funding to further support the cleanup of these sites.”
The Arden Gypsum Mine is located on the edge of southwest Las Vegas and was mined between 1909 and 1931. It had been abandoned for decades, and the 59 hazards associated with the mine included shafts that posed a danger to the public. The safety project was completed in 2018 by Clark County and the Nevada Division of Minerals, with all hazards successfully backfilled, ensuring the public could no longer use or vandalize the area. Clark County has future plans to make use of the land, such as putting in hiking trails. The Good Sam law will help remediate more mines like Arden.
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