Bill > HR3713

This bill establishes the Office of Mountains, Deserts, and Plains within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to coordinate and improve cleanup efforts at abandoned mine sites, particularly in mountainous, desert, and plains regions. The office will be led by a Director appointed by the EPA Administrator and will focus on coordinating cleanup actions at discontinued hardrock mining sites, with special attention to sites in Indian country and the Navajo Nation. Key responsibilities include creating an annual priority list of mine sites needing cleanup, developing best practices for site assessment and remediation, facilitating interagency cooperation, supporting small business involvement in cleanup efforts, and coordinating with federal agencies, states, tribal governments, and stakeholders. The office will also develop a 10-year interagency plan specifically for addressing uranium contamination on Navajo Nation lands by 2028. Importantly, the bill emphasizes that it does not create new regulatory authority and does not establish default standards for cleanup actions. The bill aims to improve environmental restoration efforts, protect human health, and support innovative technologies for addressing contamination at abandoned mine sites across the United States.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Business and Industry

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3713/all-info