Yavapai News

The Arizona House of Representatives has approved a series of measures aimed at addressing environmental concerns related to hazardous and abandoned mine sites. The legislative package, sponsored by State Representative Selina Bliss, includes three bills: HB2127, HB2128, and HCM2007. These measures are in response to issues in Yavapai County involving the Senator Mine, where a Chinese-owned company ceased operations, leaving behind significant public safety risks.

Representative Bliss emphasized the importance of these bills in preventing foreign entities from exploiting natural resources without accountability. "We cannot allow foreign entities and bad actors to exploit our natural resources, and violate our laws, only to skip town while Arizonans are left holding the bag," she said. She further urged her Senate colleagues to support the legislation.

HB2127 introduces notification requirements for entities selling contaminated properties to ensure transparency with potential buyers and state agencies. HB2128 expands the Prospective Purchaser Agreement program, allowing responsible parties to clean up sites without liability for previous damages. HCM2007 encourages state officials to utilize the Good Samaritan Act under federal law, facilitating cleanup efforts by nonprofit groups and private entities.

Representative Bliss highlighted the benefits of these measures for Arizona's environment and economy. "Right now, there are groups willing to step up and help clean Arizona’s environmental messes, but they’re afraid of being saddled with liability for problems they didn’t cause," she explained. "These measures fix that."

For more details on this legislative package, additional information is available through an attached fact sheet.

Selina Bliss serves as a Republican member of the Arizona House representing Legislative District 1 in Yavapai County and chairs the Health and Human Services Committee.

Information from this article can be found here.