# Community Reclamation Partnerships Act

This bill creates a new way for states to clean up land and water damaged by coal mining that happened before 1977. Instead of waiting for the federal government to handle all the cleanup work, states can now partner with nonprofit organizations and other groups called "Community Reclaimers" to tackle these environmental problems more quickly and efficiently.

The main issue this addresses is abandoned coal mines that left behind polluted water and damaged land. Mine drainage—acidic water that seeps from old mines—continues to poison streams and groundwater decades after mining stopped. Under this bill, a state can create a partnership agreement with federal agencies and then work with Community Reclaimers to fix these problems. Before any project gets approved, the state must hold public meetings so neighbors and affected residents can weigh in on the plans. The state also takes legal responsibility for the work, meaning if something goes wrong, the state is liable rather than the Community Reclaimer, unless the organization was grossly negligent or intentionally caused harm.

To qualify as a Community Reclaimer, an organization must be genuinely trying to help—they can't be a company that caused the original mining damage, they can't currently own or operate mines, and they can't have outstanding environmental violations. The federal government has 120 days to approve or reject project proposals, and the state must prove it has the money and expertise to complete the work and maintain it long-term. This gives communities a faster path to fixing environmental damage in their backyards while still maintaining public oversight and accountability.

Community Reclamation Partnerships Act

LaHood, Darin

Community Reclamation Partnerships Act This bill revises the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program which restores land and water adversely impacted by surface coal mines that were abandoned before August 3, 1977. A state with an approved reclamation program may enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant federal or state agencies for remediating mine drainage on abandoned mine land and water impacted by abandoned mines. In addition, the bill authorizes a partnership between a state and a community reclaimer for remediating abandoned mine land if <ul> <li>the partnership's proposed project is consistent with an approved state memorandum of understanding and conducted on certain prioritized sites; </li> <li>the state assumes all responsibly on behalf of the community reclaimer and the owner of the proposed project site for costs or damages resulting from actions or inactions of the community reclaimer in carrying out the project, except for gross negligence or intentional misconduct by the community reclaimer; and</li> <li>the state has necessary legal authority to conduct the project and has financial resources to ensure the project's completion.</li> </ul> A community reclaimer is a person who (1) voluntarily assists a state in a reclamation project, (2) did not participate in the creation of site conditions at the proposed site or activities that caused any land or waters to become eligible for reclamation or drainage abatement expenditures, (3) is not a past or current owner or operator of any site with ongoing reclamation obligations, and (4) is not subject to outstanding violations of surface coal mining permits.