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Congressman Joe Heck (NV-03) today released the following statement after the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved H.R. 697, the Three Kids Mine Remediation and Reclamation Act, by a voice vote.

"I am pleased the Three Kids Mine bill has cleared another hurdle to becoming law,"Rep. Heck said. "I thank Senators Reid and Heller for their efforts to move this bill through the committee and hope the full Senate will move quickly to pass this job-creating legislation."

The bill, which is cosponsored by the entire Nevada congressional delegation and passed the House by voice vote, provides an innovative public-private partnership solution to cleaning up the abandoned Three Kids Mine site at no cost to federal taxpayers. The cleanup and development of the Three Kids Mine site is estimated to create as many as 3,000 jobs over the life of the project.

During House debate on the bill, Rep. Heck spoke about the bill's importance to the environment and economy of southern Nevada.

BACKGROUND:

* The Three Kids Mine site is a 1,260 acre abandoned manganese mine and mill site located along the south side of Lake Mead Drive, across the highway from Lake Las Vegas, in Henderson.

* The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Federal lands at the project site – approximately 948 acres – at fair market value taking into account the costs of investigating and remediating the entire site, which includes an additional 314 acres of now-private lands that were used historically in mine operations.

* In return for conveying the land at fair market value, the Federal Government will also receive a release of liability for cleanup of both the Federal and private lands.

* Before the Federal lands are conveyed, the State must enter into a binding consent agreement under which the cleanup of the entire project site will occur.

* This agreement must include financial assurances to ensure the completion of the remediation and reclamation of the site.

* The cleanup will be financed with private capital and Nevada tax increment financing at no cost to the Federal government.

* H.R. 697 is the result of more than five years of work among the City of Henderson Redevelopment Agency, the Department of the Interior, the State of Nevada, and private entities.

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