H.R. 3713

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3713 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3713

To establish within the Environmental Protection Agency the Office of 
Mountains, Deserts, and Plains, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 4, 2025

Mr. Crane (for himself and Mr. Stanton) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish within the Environmental Protection Agency the Office of 
Mountains, Deserts, and Plains, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Legacy Mine Cleanup Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF MOUNTAINS, DESERTS, AND PLAINS.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate;
(E) the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate;
(F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives;
(G) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives;
(H) the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives;
(I) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
of Representatives; and
(J) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
of the House of Representatives.
(3) Cleanup action.--The term ``cleanup action'' means 1 or 
more actions taken to address contaminated media at a covered 
mine site pursuant to 1 or more existing authorities of the 
Administrator, including--
(A) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 
et seq.);
(B) the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned 
Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 (30 U.S.C. 1245 note; Public 
Law 118-155);
(C) the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et 
seq.);
(D) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); and
(E) any other existing authority of the 
Administrator.
(4) Covered mine site.--The term ``covered mine site'' 
means the land, water, and surrounding watersheds where 
extraction, beneficiation, or processing of hardrock ores or 
minerals occurred, but has been discontinued, including 
discontinued temporarily.
(5) Indian country.--The term ``Indian country'' has the 
meaning given the term in section 1151 of title 18, United 
States Code.
(6) Navajo nation abandoned uranium mine site.--The term 
``Navajo Nation abandoned uranium mine site'' means an 
abandoned uranium covered mine site on land of the Navajo 
Nation.
(7) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of 
Mountains, Deserts, and Plains established by subsection 
(b)(1).
(8) Regional office.--The term ``Regional Office'' means a 
Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(b) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--There is established within the office of 
the Environmental Protection Agency that administers solid 
waste programs the Office of Mountains, Deserts, and Plains.
(2) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director, to 
be selected by the Administrator (or a designee).
(c) Purposes.--The purposes of the Office shall be--
(1) to coordinate between the headquarters of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Offices, and 
stakeholders on cleanup actions of the Environmental Protection 
Agency at a covered mine site, including a covered mine site in 
Indian country, in accordance with Federal law;
(2) to establish and disseminate best practices for covered 
mine site cleanup actions, including identifying--
(A) innovative technologies and reuse approaches 
that support and make progress toward those cleanup 
actions; and
(B) waste storage and disposal solutions;
(3) to coordinate among the headquarters of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Offices, Federal land 
management agencies, States, Indian Tribes, and voluntary 
nongovernmental organizations, watershed groups, nonliable 
entities and mining companies, and other entities on voluntary 
cleanup actions at covered mine sites, where applicable, 
including timely issuance of administrative guidance for 
nonliable parties;
(4) to coordinate within the Environmental Protection 
Agency and with other Federal agencies to encourage contracting 
opportunities for small businesses to participate in cleanup 
actions at covered mine sites, consistent with applicable 
Federal procurement authorities;
(5) to coordinate with the Secretary of the Interior, the 
Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, and other Federal agencies, as the Administrator 
determines to be appropriate, to ensure interagency 
coordination of covered mine site cleanup actions, with 
priority given to coordinating cleanup actions at covered mine 
sites for which there is no potentially responsible party; and
(6) to coordinate other actions as the Administrator 
determines to be appropriate, pursuant to existing authorities 
of the Administrator--
(A) to support efforts to investigate, 
characterize, or clean up a discharge, release, or 
threat of release of a hazardous substance, pollutant, 
or contaminant into the environment at or from a 
covered mine site; or
(B) to establish best practices to protect and 
improve human health and the environment and implement 
appropriate reuse options, including through the use of 
innovative technologies to recover valuable resources 
from covered mine site features or areas, as 
applicable.
(d) Duties.--The Administrator shall carry out through the Office, 
at a minimum, the following duties:
(1) Priority mine list.--
(A) In general.--Annually, the Administrator shall 
identify covered mine sites that are prioritized for 
cleanup actions, which may include covered mine sites 
that are or are not included on the National Priorities 
List developed by the President in accordance with 
section 105(a)(8)(B) of the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 
U.S.C. 9605(a)(8)(B)).
(B) Creation of list; reports.--The Administrator 
shall annually--
(i) create a list of covered mine sites 
identified under subparagraph (A); and
(ii) submit to the appropriate committees 
of Congress a report describing--
(I) the methodology used to 
identify those covered mine sites under 
that subparagraph; and
(II) the status of cleanup actions 
carried out at covered mine sites on 
the list.
(C) Coordination.--The Administrator shall--
(i) regularly coordinate with Regional 
Offices, Federal agencies, States, Indian 
Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and 
stakeholders to update the list of covered mine 
sites identified under subparagraph (A); and
(ii) regularly coordinate with Regional 
Offices on cleanup actions and share best 
practices with respect to each covered mine 
site identified under subparagraph (A).
(2) Process improvement.--
(A) In general.--The Administrator shall, pursuant 
to existing authorities of the Administrator--
(i) identify best practices for developing, 
reviewing, and approving site assessments, 
remedial investigations, and feasibility 
studies for covered mine sites;
(ii) coordinate research relating to 
technologies and cleanup approaches that are 
the most successful in limiting the acute and 
chronic risks posed to human health and the 
environment by covered mine sites; and
(iii) support--
(I) government-to-government 
consultations with Indian Tribes with 
respect to a covered mine site located 
within Indian country; and
(II) efforts to provide regular 
updates to the Tribal governments 
involved in cleanup actions for a 
covered mine site located on Tribal 
land under the jurisdiction of the 
Indian Tribe.
(B) Tribal consultation.--In supporting 
consultations with Indian Tribes under subparagraph 
(A)(iii)(I), the Administrator, in addition to existing 
applicable law and guidance, shall--
(i) as appropriate, invite potentially 
responsible parties, including Federal 
agencies, to participate in government-to-
government consultations with Indian Tribes;
(ii) as appropriate, consult with Alaska 
Native Corporations in accordance with section 
161 of division H of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2004 (25 U.S.C. 5301 note; 
Public Law 108-199); and
(iii) as appropriate, ensure consultations 
with Tribal allottees occur pursuant to section 
2 of the Act of February 5, 1948 (62 Stat. 18, 
chapter 45; 25 U.S.C. 324).
(3) Interagency plans for uranium contamination on the 
navajo nation; reports.--
(A) In general.--Not later than September 30, 2028, 
and not less frequently than once every 10 years 
thereafter, the Administrator, in cooperation with 
other relevant Federal agencies, including, at a 
minimum, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Energy 
Regulatory Commission, the Department of the Interior, 
the Indian Health Service, and the Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry, and in consultation 
with affected Tribal governments, shall develop a 10-
year interagency plan for the coordination of the 
Federal Government with States and Tribal governments 
to carry out cleanup actions at Navajo Nation abandoned 
uranium mine sites, including--
(i) goals for the assessment of, and 
cleanup actions at, Navajo Nation abandoned 
uranium mine sites;
(ii) target dates by which goals described 
in clause (i) are anticipated to be achieved, 
subject to appropriations and funding from 
potentially responsible parties;
(iii) the projected appropriations 
necessary to achieve goals described in clause 
(i) by the target dates described in clause 
(ii); and
(iv) the activities to be carried out by 
each Federal agency under the plan.
(B) Reports.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
on which a plan is developed under subparagraph (A), 
the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report describing the 
applicable plan.
(4) Administrative and technical assistance.--The 
Administrator shall, pursuant to existing authorities of the 
Administrator, provide to States, units of local government, 
Indian Tribes, and other entities technical assistance with 
respect to cleanup actions on covered mine sites.
(e) Savings Provisions.--Nothing in this section--
(1) provides the Administrator with new regulatory 
authority not already established in law; or
(2) shall be interpreted as establishing a default standard 
or authority to be used for cleanup actions at covered mine 
sites, including the definition of ``cleanup action'' in 
subsection (a).
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