{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2024/09/25/press-releases-id-1f213b78-27ae-4fe8-87bc-3c115bb531b2/", "Bennet, Hickenlooper Introduce Legislation to Compensate Communities Affected by Gold King Mine Disaster", "2024-09-25", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "CO", "Michael F. Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", "bennet", "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper introduced the Gold King Mine Spill Compensation Act to help communities in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona that were affected by the Gold King Mine disaster of 2015.\n\n\u201cThe effects of the Gold King Mine disaster were felt far beyond the banks of the Animas River. The blowout hurt families, farmers, and outdoor recreation companies in Durango and throughout southwest Colorado who depend on the river for their livelihoods,\u201d said Bennet. \u201cAlmost a decade later, too many Coloradans still feel its effects. Our legislation is a necessary step to help Coloradans finally recover certain remaining costs and damages incurred from the spill and make Southwest Colorado communities whole again.\u201d\n\n\u201cLocal farmers, homeowners, and outdoor rec outfitters were left high and dry after the Gold King Mine spill in 2015,\u201d said Hickenlooper. \u201cOur bill will make sure they get the compensation they need to finally recover and move forward.\u201d\n\nOn August 5, 2015, the Gold King Mine spill released 3 million gallons of polluted mining wastewater into the Animas and San Juan rivers, affecting waterways in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, the Southern Ute reservation, and the Navajo Nation. Though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was able to partially compensate some claims, its ability to meet the needs of affected businesses, farmers, and homeowners is constrained by existing laws. This legislation would provide EPA with the necessary authority and funding to compensate certain outstanding claims from the spill.\n\n\u201cThe Gold King Mine Compensation Act clears the procedural hurdles that kept businesses that suffered economic losses due to the spill nearly 10 years ago from being made whole,\u201d said Matt Salka, Chair, La Plata County Board of County Commissioners. \u201cWe are grateful that the impact felt by those businesses has not been forgotten and that a remedy is possible through this much-appreciated legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe work that Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and their teams have done on the Gold King Mine Bill is restoring my faith in government. After all these years to see the promise of our government concerning the Gold King Mine incident and its ensuing economic damage was not forgotten, is refreshing. The wheels of government turn slowly. We at Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours are thankful that Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and their teams are keeping them turning,\u201d said Alex Mickel, President, Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours.\n\nThe La Plata County Board of County Commissioners also shared a letter in support of this legislation.\n\nImmediately after the Gold King Mine disaster, then-Governor Hickenlooper declared the affected area a disaster zone. The following month, Bennet requested and testified at a Senate hearing regarding the cause, response, and effects of the Gold King Mine disaster. He also introduced the Gold King Mine Spill Recovery Act to ensure the EPA continued to work with states, local communities, and Tribes to compensate those who were affected and implement long-term water quality monitoring. The following year, Bennet worked to pass legislation to support recovery efforts from the spill.\n\nOn its second anniversary, Bennet and New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, alongside then-Representative Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.), introduced legislation to reform the nation\u2019s antiquated mining laws and prevent future hardrock mine disasters.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2024/09/25/press-releases-id-1f213b78-27ae-4fe8-87bc-3c115bb531b2/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7056468166410923, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}