HR167-119

What This Bill Does

The Community Reclamation Partnerships Act creates a state MOU pathway for abandoned mine drainage cleanup under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. A state with an approved reclamation program may enter a memorandum of understanding with relevant federal or state agencies to remediate mine drainage on abandoned mine land and waters affected by abandoned mines. The MOU must include water-quality improvement procedures, monitoring and sampling, reporting, operation and maintenance of treatment systems, public comment, at least one accessible public meeting, 15-day notice in local newspapers and online, responses to substantive public concerns, and approval or disapproval by the Interior Secretary and EPA Administrator within 120 days. The bill also creates Community Reclaimer partnerships: the Secretary must approve qualifying projects within 120 days if they are conducted by a Community Reclaimer or subcontractors, are consistent with the state MOU for mine drainage projects, are on inventoried abandoned mine sites, include engineering plans, owner/operator history, state-community agreements, technical and financial capacity, schedules, access agreements, contingency plans, public notice, and public meetings. States assume project costs or damages except for gross negligence or intentional misconduct by the Community Reclaimer. Limited reprocessing of historic mine residue is allowed only when approved by the land-management agency and proceeds defray remediation or reimburse agencies. The Act clarifies state liability for mine drainage projects, adds proposed Community Reclaimer projects to state reclamation plans, and sunsets on September 30, 2032.

Who Benefits and How

Communities near abandoned mines, downstream landowners, watershed organizations, state abandoned-mine land programs, Community Reclaimer organizations, conservation nonprofits, water-quality monitoring groups, professional engineering contractors, and historic mine-residue reprocessors benefit from a defined pathway to treat mine drainage and reclaim sites that may otherwise remain unfunded or legally risky. Public notice and meetings give residents affected by implementation a chance to comment before projects start.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State reclamation agencies, Department of the Interior mine-reclamation staff, EPA water-quality staff, Community Reclaimers, project-site owners, adjacent landowners, downstream landowners, mining companies with prior liability elsewhere, active mine operators with performance bonds, and federal land-management agencies must prepare MOUs, conduct monitoring and maintenance, assume or manage liability, document technical and financial capacity, obtain permits, respond to public concerns, approve reprocessing decisions, and administer the 2032 sunset.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes state MOUs with federal or state agencies for abandoned mine drainage remediation.
• Requires MOU procedures for water-quality improvement, monitoring, sampling, reporting, operation, maintenance, public comment, public meetings, and 120-day federal approval.
• Creates a Community Reclaimer project approval process for inventoried abandoned mine sites.
• Requires state agreements that assume costs or damages except for Community Reclaimer gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
• Allows limited reprocessing of historic mine residue when approved and when proceeds support remediation or agency reimbursement.
• Clarifies state liability, requires state plans to list Community Reclaimer projects, and sunsets the Act on September 30, 2032.