The chairpersons of the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee and Natural Resources Committee have sent a letter to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday, voicing their concern regarding the agency’s work on developing financial assurance requirements for the hard rock mining industry.
Under section 108(b) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the EPA was considering creating a regulatory regime for the hard rock mining industry regarding aspects of risk management and financial assurance. The EPA was mandated to undertake this work as a result of a lawsuit brought by nongovernmental organisations in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by December.
