CONTACT LEGISLATORS SAYING YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF HOUSE BILL 1273 BY 5:00 PM (MT) ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Please plan to contact a lot of legislators very quickly. We expect a hearing to be held on Thursday, February 12, at 6:45 am MT before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Everyone needs to email the Committee members saying that you support House Bill 1273 before 5:00 pm on Wednesday. Do not just copy the wording shown here. Use your own words.
Focus on your community’s experience with lithium, limestone, or other mining that HB 1273 would impact. This is not the time to talk about broad mining issues or gold mining or uranium mining – which are not impacted by this bill.
Here are committee members’ emails – you can just copy and paste these into the “TO” line in your email –
Spencer.Gosch@sdlegislature.gov, Tim.Goodwin@sdlegislature.gov, Jana.Hunt@sdlegislature.gov, Travis.Ismay@sdlegislature.gov, Trish.Ladner@sdlegislature.gov, Liz.May@sdlegislature.gov, Kaley.Nolz@sdlegislature.gov, Marty.Overweg@sdlegislature.gov, Drew.Peterson@sdlegislature.gov, Kathy.Rice@sdlegislature.gov, John.Shubeck@sdlegislature.gov, Kevin.VanDiepen@sdlegislature.gov, Kadyn.Wittman@sdlegislature.gov
Include in the CC field Staffer: Lance.Nixon@sdlegislature.gov
It is also important that you call or email your own district’s state legislators and let them know you support the bill — Find My Legislators | South Dakota Legislature. Your district has two House members and one Senator. Tell them that you live in their district.
Click HERE for more on what HB 1273 does:
As you will see, the bill looks long. But most of the bill is about deleting the current law that regulates limestone, lithium, sand, gravel, etc. A lot of people in the Legislature — and the state – support reducing regulations.
Basically, what the bill does is to remove the section of the laws that treats mining for sand, gravel, lithium, limestone, etc. differently from other mining. It makes sure that all mining gets similar treatment, including:
- Public notice of planned mining proposals,
- The opportunity for public comment and hearings,
- Pre-permit environmental review and reclamation plan,
- Protection of cultural resources, communities, and special places.
There would not be just a one-page application, and public notice would be required BEFORE a permit was considered.
JOIN THE SUPPORT FOR HOUSE BILL 1273 AND COME TO PIERRE!
Click on the State Level Comment Notices to learn more about attending this important hearing in person or how to give your written testimony remotely.
Thank You.
Black Hills Clean Water Alliance 