But with a little help from Congress, they are a problem we can tackle, creating jobs, cleaner water and healthier fisheries in the process.

As many as 500,000 abandoned hardrock mines dot the West, an estimated 33,000 of which are degrading the environment. Some 22,000 miles of native trout and salmon streams are impaired by heavy metals or acid mine drainage.   

TU's restoration specialists know how to leverage public and private dollars to restore degraded streams, and we are eager to take on acid-draining abandoned mines. But under federal law, groups like ours that have no legal responsibility for or connection to an abandoned mine – true Good Samaritans – are deterred from cleaning up these toxic sites due to significant liability risks.

We can solve this conundrum by passing legislation that provides limited and targeted liability protection for bona fide Good Samaritans so they can get to work cleaning up abandoned mine pollution.  

You can help by contacting your members of Congress and urging them to support Good Samaritan legislation.