Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2025
Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2025 – Summary **What the bill does:** This legislation updates the federal Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, which cleans up land and water damaged by coal mines abandoned before 1977. The bill allows states to partner with federal and state agencies, as well as with community volunteers ("community reclaimers"), to fix environmental problems like mine drainage pollution. These partnerships would be permitted through September 2032. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily impacts states with old abandoned coal mines, environmental agencies at federal and state levels, and community volunteers willing to help restore damaged land and water.
It could benefit residents living near abandoned mines affected by water pollution and other environmental hazards. **Key provisions:** The bill establishes who can serve as a "community reclaimer" (essentially a volunteer or organization that didn't cause the original damage and isn't violating environmental laws), and it authorizes formal agreements between states and these partners to remediate mine-related pollution. The law sets an expiration date of September 2032 for these partnerships. **Status:** The bill has passed the House and is awaiting Senate consideration.
CRS Official Summary
Community Reclamation Partnerships Act of 2025This 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.Until September 30, 2032, the bill allows a state with an approved reclamation program to 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 certain conditions are met. 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 at the site to become eligible for reclamation or drainage abatement expenditures, and (3) is not subject to outstanding violations of surface coal mining permits.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.