On July 13, [2006] the Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC) testified before the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources of the House Resources Committee at an oversight hearing on “Opportunities for Good Samaritan Cleanup of Hard Rock Abandoned Mine Lands.” Speaking on behalf of the IMCC, Joseph Pizarchik, Director of the Bureau of Mining and Reclamation within the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, addressed the experience of the state in reclaiming abandoned mine lands under Titles IV and V of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) and under Pennsylvania’s Environmental Good Samaritan Act. He noted that between the efforts of the state’s AML program and the state’s emphasis on remining opportunities, hundreds of miles of once-dead streams and rivers have been brought back to life and thousands of acres of land have been restored for valuable postmining uses. He also stated that since 1999 when Pennsylvania enacted the first Good Samaritan Act in the nation, thirty four projects focused mainly on mine drainage have been undertaken. “A number of other projects have not been done because of the potential for incurring liability under federal law,” Mr Pizarchik said. “The opportunities for reclamation by Good Samaritans would be enhanced by the enactment of federal legislation, which should also include coal.” Mr. Pizarchik went on to address pending legislation in the House and Senate that address Good Samaritan cleanups, providing several recommendations for improvements from the states’ perspective.

Source: http://www.imcc.isa.us/NewsLetters/NewsOctober2006.htm