What is a Good Samaritan comfort/status letter?
A Good Samaritan comfort/status letter is intended as a straightforward, non-negotiable document that can be issued relatively quickly at the EPA Regional office level. The letter cites to CERCLA 107(d), which provides that a person is not liable under CERCLA for costs or damages as a result of taking (or omitting) actions in the course of rendering care, assistance or advice in accordance with the National Contingency Plan (NCP) or at the direction of an On-Scene Coordinator. This letter is intended to encourage Good Samaritans to perform NCP-compliant work at orphan mine sites without having to invest time and resources in negotiating a formal settlement agreement with the federal government. EPA has successfully used comfort/status letters to provide information and assuage liability concerns since issuing its Comfort/Status Letter Policy in 1997.
