In our last episode, we’ll take a tour of policies that can be updated, improved, and introduced to address abandoned mine pollution. Keep in mind this is a very high-level overview of the policies themselves and the problems they address. If you want to dig into some of the details check out some of the resources below. 

And check out our website for a whole lot more: https://bit.ly/spilledpodcast. 

General Mining Act: 

General mining law of 1872 Factsheet- Earthworks  

Hardrock Mining on Federal Lands- U.S. Government Accountability Office 

The Enduring Vitality of the General Mining Law of 1872 by Mark Squillace 

H.R.2579 - Hardrock Leasing and Reclamation Act of 2019- U.S. 116th Congress (2019-2020) 

Issue Brief Hardrock Leasing and Reclamation Act of 2019- Earthworks 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)- Superfund: 

CERCLA Overview (EPA) Superfund: Polluters Pay So Children Can Play. A Report on the US EPA’s Superfund Program Under the Trump Administration. A Report on the US EPA’s Superfund Program Under the Trump Administration- The Center for Health, Environment and Justice 

Gold King Mine Spill - Diné Exposure Project- Superfund Research Center 

The Clean Water Act: 

Clean Water Act: A Summary of the Law- Congressional Research Service 

Clean Water Act Section 401: Overview and Recent Developments- Congressional Research Service

Mining Industry Exploits Clean Water Act Loopholes- Earthworks 

The threat to drinking water from abandoned mines in the West remains unknown- The Denver Post 

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)- Industrial Wastewater- EPA 

Colorado Legislation: 

HB-19 1113 Protect water quality adverse mining impact 

Rules and Regulations- Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety 

Colorado Severance Tax Revenue 

History of Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety 

Music credits:

 "La Martiniana" by Saul Cosme* *used with permission from artist