Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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.
This bill authorizes federal compensation for individuals, businesses, and organizations harmed by the Gold King Mine spill that occurred on August 5, 2015, when over 3 million gallons of contaminated acid mine drainage was released into Colorado waterways. Eligible claimants include homeowners, farmers, livestock operators, and recreation or other businesses that suffered documented losses such as personal injury, lost business income (between August and December 2015), livestock relocation expenses, or crop losses, provided they submitted a claim to the EPA by August 5, 2017, and either had their claims denied or were not fully compensated. The EPA Administrator will have 180 days to review and determine payment amounts, which are capped at the original amount claimed and exclude punitive damages and interest. The bill appropriates up to $3.3 million in emergency funding for fiscal year 2025 and allows claimants who disagree with EPA decisions to appeal to federal court within 60 days.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.