<[link removed]> UPCOMING Webinar: Removing Barriers to Cleaning up Abandoned Mines <[link removed]> Register <[link removed]> Please join ConservAmerica for a webinar <[link removed]> on Wednesday, April 6 at 11 a.m. ET on the recently introduced Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2022 <[link removed]> (SB 3571). The bipartisan legislation would make it easier for “Good Samaritans” such as state agencies, local governments, nonprofits, and other groups, to clean up and improve water quality in and around abandoned hardrock mines. The U.S. has over 140,000 abandoned hardrock mine features, of which 22,500 pose environmental hazards according to the GAO. Organizations that have no legal or financial responsibility to an abandoned mine – true Good Samaritans – want to volunteer to remediate these sites. Unfortunately, liability rules would leave these Good Samaritans legally responsible for all the pre-existing pollution from a mine, even though they had no involvement with the mine prior to cleaning it up. The Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act creates a pilot permitting program to enable not-for-profit cleanup efforts to move forward, while ensuring Good Samaritans have the skills and resources to comply with federal oversight. This pilot program is designed for lower risk projects which will improve water and soil quality or otherwise protect human health. Opening Remarks (invited): U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) & U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) Panelists: Ryan Jackson, National Mining Association Chris Wood, Trout Unlimited Ayla Neumeyer, Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) Maya Hermann, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) Moderated by Brent Fewell, ConservAmerica Speakers: Ryan Jackson is responsible for NMA’s government and political affairs. He brings over 20 years of experience reaching bipartisan achievements. As chief of staff for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Jackson successfully negotiated the U.S. Senate confirmation votes of two EPA administrators, nine assistant administrators, and inspector general candidates and recruited well over 100 additional political appointees producing EPA’s regulatory agenda which included the Affordable Clean Energy Rule and the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. As staff director for the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee he led the negotiations for the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, the first major environmental legislation enacted in twenty years, principal national transportation and water infrastructure legislation, and the enactment of over 60 other bipartisan bills. Chris Wood is the President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. Before coming to Trout Unlimited in September 2001, Chris served as the senior policy and communications advisor to the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service where he helped protect 58 million acres of publicly owned land. Chris began his career as a temporary employee with the Forest Service in Idaho and also worked for the Fish and Wildlife program of the Bureau of Land Management. He is the author and co-author of numerous papers and articles and three books including, Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices (AFS 1997), From Conquest to Conservation: Our Public Land Legacy (Island Press, 2003), and My Healthy Stream: A handbook for streamside owners (Trout Unlimited and Aldo Leopold Foundation, 2013). Ayla Neumeyer is a legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, and provides policy advice on matters related to agriculture, environmental protection, public lands and natural resources. Maya Hermann is a legislative assistant for Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). She handles public lands, forestry, mining, water, wildlife, and other natural resources issues. Register <[link removed]> View original post <[link removed]> <[link removed]> ConservAmerica, 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington DC, United States Powered by Squarespace <[link removed]> Unsubscribe <[link removed]>