Trout Unlimited CEO and President Chris Wood testified before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Wednesday on the issue of enacting good Samaritan provisions in federal law as a tool to cleanup abandoned mines throughout the United States.

The testimony to be presented by Trout Unlimited points to Pennsylvania’s successful implementation of the 1999 Environmental Good Samaritan Law.  This law was passed at the same time as Pennsylvania’s award-winning Growing Greener Watershed Restoration Program.

“In Pennsylvania, aided by state-based Good Samaritan policy, Trout Unlimited is working with State agencies, watershed groups and other partners, to conduct more than 250 abandoned coal mine pollution projects throughout the state. And Trout Unlimited, again in partnership with state and federal agencies and private landowners, has used the limited Good Samaritan tools afforded by EPA under current law to good effect,” said Woods.

Good Samaritan protection allows nonprofit, community groups and others with no responsibility for the original mine pollution to clean up that pollution without incurring their own liability.

A copy of the Trout Unlimited testimony is available online.

Click Here to watch the U.S. House hearing online.  For more information, contact Amy G. Wolfe, Director, Eastern Abandoned Mine Program & PA Eastern Brook Trout Habitat Initiative for Trout Unlimited, by sending email to: awolfe@tu.org or call 570-786-9562.

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