To authorize compensation to individuals, organizations, and companies impacted by the Gold King Mine wastewater spill of 2015, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Hurd of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act of 2025 authorizes the federal government to pay compensation to people and businesses harmed by the August 2015 Gold King Mine disaster in Colorado. The EPA accidentally released over 3 million gallons of toxic wastewater containing heavy metals into the Animas and San Juan Rivers, contaminating water supplies downstream. This bill creates a process for affected parties to receive payment for their documented losses.
Who Benefits and How
Homeowners, farmers, livestock grazers, and recreation businesses in the affected area benefit directly. They can receive compensation for property damage, lost business income (from August to December 2015), costs of relocating livestock and finding alternative water supplies, and lost agricultural crops. The bill provides up to $3.3 million total for these payments. Claimants who previously filed claims with the EPA but were denied or only partially compensated are eligible.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers bear the cost, as the bill appropriates up to $3.3 million from the Treasury. The funds are designated as emergency spending, meaning they bypass normal budget controls. The EPA Administrator must investigate and process all claims within 180 days and submit a final report to Congress. Claimants who accept payment must give up any other legal claims against the federal government related to the spill.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes compensation for documented damages including property injury, lost business income, livestock relocation costs, and crop losses from the 2015 spill
- Sets a maximum appropriation of $3.3 million, designated as emergency spending
- Requires claimants to have filed claims with EPA by August 5, 2017 to be eligible
- Excludes emotional distress, cleanup response costs, and vacation rental income from compensation
- Claimants accepting payment must release all future claims against the U.S. government for this incident
- Allows aggrieved claimants to appeal EPA decisions in federal court within 60 days
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
The bill aims to authorize compensation for individuals, organizations, and companies affected by the Gold King Mine wastewater spill in 2015.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the EPA
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the EPA
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Same meaning as 'injury or loss of property, or personal injury or death' in section 1346(b)(1) of title 28, United States Code
The Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act of 2025
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology