WHO ARE WE? – Click to read our Mission Statement.
The mission of Black Hills Clean Water Alliance is to protect our valuable resources – especially water – for future generations, by preventing destructive mining in the Black Hills. The Alliance is a diverse collection of citizens concerned about the health, environmental, and economic impacts that mining projects and their contribution to the climate crisis are having on our communities, people, economy, and natural resources.
The Black Hills are unique culturally, ecologically, geologically, and economically – a tree-covered island in the midst of vast plains and the sacred center of Lakota treaty lands. They are headwaters for surface and ground water in the northern Great Plains, bringing life to communities, wildlife, ranches, landscapes, and people. It is our responsibility to protect the water that gives life.
Our organization and its allies have worked together since 2009 to prevent new uranium mining in the Black Hills. Several years ago, we decided to work to prevent new large-scale gold mining in the Hills, and most recently, we have worked to block lithium and graphite mining. Any of these projects would contaminate the limited water in our area. Join us to protect the beautiful and life-giving waters of the Black Hills region!
BREAKING NEWS & UPDATES!
URANIUM PROJECT HEARING ADJOURNED
For the second time in as many weeks, our efforts and the work of our allies have paid off!
We were attending the hearing before the SD Board of Minerals and Environment in Hot Springs, which was scheduled to last all week (and beyond). It was a hearing on a proposed permit to drill for uranium in Craven Canyon, a 7000+ year old cultural and ceremonial site in the southern Black Hills that is presently in use. The company involved, the ridiculously-named “Clean” Nuclear Energy Corp., is a one-person subsidiary of Nexus Uranium, a Canadian company.
The hearings were held at the Mueller Center in an auditorium. The Board members were on the stage. So were two of the founding members of Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, who were also involved in protecting Craven Canyon from uranium mining in 1979. READ MORE.
CLICK HERE TO SEE NEW MAP: Craven Canyon area map with prior, proposed, and existing protection areas as well as the October Jinx and Chord Project areas.
Following is more information about this important hearing.
The SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Board of Minerals & Environment’s hearing in the matter of CNEC Uranium Exploration Permit Application in Craven Canyon is scheduled for Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22 at the Mueller Civic Center, 801 South 6th Street, Hot Springs, SD. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:00 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard.
All intervenors and the public are urged to attend.
Legal notice: https://danr.sd.gov/Environment/MineralsMining/Exploration/docs/41326NoticeofHearingtoParties.pdf
Contested Case documents: https://danr.sd.gov/public/ccdocs.aspx?CCID=CCID123
More information about this project: https://bhcleanwateralliance.org/chord-project/
5/8/26 UPDATE:
VICTORY! Unified Action a Success! Sacred Site is Protected from Graphite Mining.
Due to the many actions taken by nine tribal governments, NDN Collective, Earthworks, all of our attorneys, thousands of people who sent public comments, and everyone else involved — we just got word that the US Justice Department has informed our attorneys that Pete Lien & Sons is withdrawing their permit for the graphite mining project at Pe’ Sla!! That means the current project is dead!!
For more information about this Graphite Project click HERE.
5/4/26 UPDATE:
Hearing Update: Temporary Restraining Order GRANTED!
Next: A hearing on a permanent injunction is tentatively scheduled for May 22 & 23. More information to come.
For more information about this Graphite Project click HERE.
Black Hills Clean Water Alliance 