The Arizona House of Representatives passed a package of bills earlier this week aimed at ensuring accountability and environmental responsibility when dealing with hazardous and abandoned mine sites. The bills come in response to the situation involving the Senator Mine in Prescott, where a Chinese-owned company abandoned its operations without dealing with the severe environmental impacts it caused.
The bill was sponsored by Prescott area state representative Selina Bliss, who says, “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. These bills ensure that Arizona communities aren’t left vulnerable to environmental hazards, while also giving good actors an opportunity to earn support in our local communities.”