Hearing scheduled to begin Aug. 28th in Rapid City, SD
PROTECT OUR WATER! NO URANIUM MINING IN THE BLACK HILLS!
The federal Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will open the hearing at 10 a.m. Aug. 28 at the Hotel Alex Johnson, 523 6th St, Rapid City, SD . The hearing will continue as necessary through 5 p.m. Aug. 30. The hearing is part of the long-running regulatory review of a proposed uranium mine near Edgemont, SD
A critical hearing will take place in Rapid City, at the Alex Johnson Hotel, starting on August 28, 2019, and probably continuing through the 30th. People are encouraged to attend and show that we oppose the possibility of uranium mining returning to the Black Hills and demand protection of cultural resources!
There are important issues at stake in this hearing. These focus on the protection of the historical and cultural resources of the Lakota people. Powertech Uranium (the company that wants to mine, whose parent company is Azarga Uranium) could destroy these resources by mining over the 10,000-acre project area without doing a proper cultural resources survey. The federal government’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and the company don’t want to follow tribal protocols for cultural resources protection and are trying to go ahead without even surveying for those resources.
The hearing will be before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB), which is made up of administrative judges who are affiliated with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In 2014, the ASLB issued a license to Powertech Uranium to handle radioactive materials from uranium mining – before a hearing was held on the subject. This is the only permit that Powertech has received in 10 years of trying. The company would need 10+ permits to begin mining, so it’s critical that we oppose the possibility of allowing this license to remain in place when the destruction of Lakota cultural resources could occur.
The proposed mining area is located in Fall River and Custer Counties on the southwest edge of the Black Hills. This is at the center of the lands promised to the Lakota in the 1851 and 1868 Fort Laramie Treaties. The company wants to do ‘in situ’ uranium mining and then inject its wastes – both of which would destroy groundwater.
The hearing will take place at the Alex Johnson Hotel, 523 – 6th Street, likely starting at 9:00 am and running until about 5:00 pm, with a lunch break. There will be testimony on cultural resources, the need to continue to work toward protection of those resources, and related topics. The ASLB has said that people should be prepared to be searched as they enter the hearing, and that no signs, banners, or weapons will be allowed inside the hearing room.
Please attend the hearing on as many days and for as long as you can! The public will not be allowed to speak, but our presence will speak loudly to the ASLB judges!
coverage from KOTA TV about the Clean Water Alliance’s Freedom of Information Act request for information on who wants to explore fore gold in the Black Hills —
For more information or how to register, please go to www.mnikiwakan.org
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Volunteers are needed to help at the Mni Ki Wakan World Indigenous Peoples Decade of Water Summit. The event will be on August 13 – 15, 2019, at the Ramkota hotel in Rapid City, with satellite camping at Bear Butte Lodge. Volunteers are needed from August 12 – 16 at both locations. Activities may include driving airport vans, setting up and taking down campsite, first aid (must have training), recording people’s stories, and helping in the conference center. Please volunteer for a shift, a day, or the conference. E-mail mnikiwakanvolunteers@gmail.com to volunteer and meet water protectors from around the world. You can also call Julie at 605-212-5240 by Aug. 1st to become part of our unique welcoming committee.
The Mni Ki Wakan: World Indigenous Peoples Decade of Water Summit is an indigenous-led initiative that is dedicated to elevating indigenous voices on water and human rights. Each year, it will convene indigenous peoples, youth, global actors, and allies from the international community at the host site designated by indigenous peoples.
Clean Water Alliance, along with others listed, are pleased to be Co-hosting this important youth-led summit happening here in the Black Hills.
The Mni Ki Wakan International Indigenous Water Conference will begin on Aug 13 – 15, 2019 at the Ramkota Hotel, 2111 N Lacrosse St, Rapid City, SD. Other hotels are available in the area. Camping will also be available at the Rosebud Bear Butte Lodge, 13029 Coyote Place (located at the Northwest corner of the butte, just east of Sturgis). For lodging info. contact www.mnikiwakan.org/lodging/
On May 17 — Friday — Clean Water Alliance will be joining with other area organizations to celebrate Endangered Species Day. This is a national event that has been celebrated locally for some years. This year, there will be presentations on a number of endangered and threatened species in western South Dakota — some of which could become important in relation to mining issues. The event is at 6:00 at the Outdoor Campus West on Sturgis Road just north of West Chicago Avenue (the address is Adventure road).
These maps show gold claims by F3 Gold (working with Big
Rock Exploration) and Mineral Mountain Resources in the central Black Hills.
The map titled “Some Gold Claims in Pennington, Lawrence,
and Custer Counties” provides a broad view. It shows all of F3 Gold’s claims in the Black Hills (red
hatching) and the Mineral Mountain Resources’ (MMR) claims that were identified
a few years ago (yellow hatching).
The map titled “Some Gold Claims in Central Black Hills” is
a close-up of the F3 Gold claims in western Pennington and southern Lawrence
Counties. Note that there are MMR
claims around the northwest and northeast edges of the map. This map also shows how close claims
are to Rockerville and Sheridan Lake (which is partly in a “crack” in the map),
and that claims overlap with Pactola Lake. MMR claims also come within about a mile of Rapid City.
Most of the F3 Gold claims and the MMR claims on the
close-up map are in the Rapid Creek watershed, which means any spills or leaks
in those areas would threaten Rapid City’s water supplies. Smaller towns could be wiped off the
map, as happened to the town of Trojan when Coeur Mining’s gold mine was
created in the northern Black Hills during the last decade. In order to stop these projects, we need
to oppose them now.
Note that the maps are down to the quarter section, which is
as much information as the federal government’s claims database provides. So there may still be small areas that
are not under claim in the hatch-marked areas on the map. The tribal holding is marked on the
larger map for information, not because it is under claims. This is Pe’ Sla.
OPEN LETTER FROM CITIZENS WHO BENEFIT FROM RAPID CREEK AND PACTOLA RESERVOIR
On Thursday March 28th, a group of concerned citizens put the Forest Service on Notice and presented the following Open Letter.
RE: MINING EXPLORATION IN THE SILVER CITY-PACTOLA AREA
TO: Mark
Van Every, Forest Service Supervisor
Jerry Krueger, Deputy Forest Service Supervisor
DATE: March 28, 2019
Pleased be advised that we, and many others, are concerned that the Forest Service appears to be in the process of green-lighting exploratory drilling in the Silver City-Pactola area by Big Rock Exploration company of Minneapolis. Because the Forest Service (FS) has not been forthcoming, however, we have not had an opportunity to review either the process or its outcomes. This leaves us with three major concerns and critical questions.
First, we are concerned that this exploratory drilling may happen without proper study and oversight.
Does the FS have hydrological maps of the surface and underground water flows to depth in the drilling areas?
What specific guarantees can the FS give the public that arsenic and radioactivity (potential by-products of the drilling process) will not enter surface or underground flows?
What specific guarantees can the FS give residents of Silver City and the Black Hills that roads will not be harmed, that noise levels will be regulated, that surface vegetation will not be harmed, and that wildlife habitat will be [protected] preserved?
What specific guarantees can the FS give recreational users of Pactola that fishing will be unaffected by the drilling?
How often and how long will the proposed project area and its waters be regulated? By whom?
What protections will the FS provide for Rapid Creek and its connected groundwater, which are the only water sources for the state’s second-largest city?
Second, tribal consultation is crucial. Like much of the Black Hills, this area may contain loci of historical, spiritual, and cultural importance to Lakota and other indigenous peoples.
Please produce the letters you have written to Tribal Historical Preservation Officers regarding this project, and their responses.
Provide full information on the government-to-government consultation process, which clearly did not include the November 21, 2017, non-consultation meeting at the Holiday Inn in Rapid City, as this meeting occurred before anyone in the public knew about this proposed project.
Please detail your plans to follow up with tribal officials, and your plans to assure that Big Rock Exploration will rely on these individuals’ expertise before an EA agreement is finalized. We are aware that in the past the FS has allowed drillers to contract with non-Native companies who purport to do sensitive cultural surveys. We certainly seek your assurance that this is not the case here.
Government-to-government consultation must occur at the earliest possible point in the process around proposed projects, and you have already passed that point in time.
Third, we are concerned that the FS has not been proactive or transparent in its communication with the many stakeholders who are invested in studying, protecting, using, and preserving Black Hills water sources. These include the residents in the area, the general public who use and enjoy Pactola Reservoir and Rapid Creek, scientists, and the many visitors who form one of the key bases for our area’s economy.
Why has the proposal the FS wrote to Big Rock Exploration, detailing the scope and costs of the project, been withheld from one of our members, who has requested it on two occasions?
Where is the letter or other communication providing for an EA?
What planning has been done for the EA process, and why is the public not being informed about it in a meaningful way?
Exactly where has drilling been requested? On whose claims?
Given the central nature of Pactola Reservoir to western South Dakota recreationists and visitors, it would seem imperative that every opportunity to invite broad public input would be offered.
These three concerns, and our questions, are the bedrock on which our concerns are built. As you know, as a federal government employee, your responsibility is to all Americans. We ask you to honor your duty to uphold the United States Constitution by providing detailed information about your plans to study and oversee any project that occurs on federal lands in the Black Hills, by conducting thorough and honest government-to-government consultation with area TREATY tribal governments, and by being transparent to the public – who are both your constituency and your employers – about what you are doing.
Thank you for your time and for your
action.
Please join us on Facebook for immediate updates. You can also join us to received email notices on these issues, Call To Action, meetings, and public events and hearings.
Another gold exploration company has come to the Black Hills. It is named Big Rock Exploration, and it is from Minnesota. This is an inexperienced company that wants to prove it can explore by looking for gold in the Black Hills. The site where they want to explore is right by the inlet to Pactola Reservoir, which Rapid City uses for its water.
CALL TO ACTION! Act now! Get on the phone or e-mail your Tribal Council, State Legislators, City Council, and County Commission. Tell them to actively oppose gold exploration in the central Black Hills. We don’t need talk. We need immediate action.
F3 Gold is the company that holds the mining claims where Big Rock Exploration wants to explore for gold in the central Black Hills. There are 2485 active F3 Gold mining claims in the Black Hills in Lawrence, Custer, and Pennington Counties. Big Rock Exploration wants to explore by Silver City. They may not control all F3 Gold claims.
There are 14 claims within the section (1 mile square) that includes Silver City. These claims are to the west of and include the area where Rapid Creek forms the inlet to Pactola Reservoir. This poses a major threat to Pactola, if exploration occurs. And Pactola Reservoir is where Rapid City gets its water, as well as being a popular recreation site.
Along the north side of Pactola Reservoir, there are 53 claims in the sections that touch the water (i.e., within 1 mile of the lakeshore).
Along Rapid Creek and just above the inlet (within 4 or 5 miles), there are another 79 claims. Some are clearly very close to the Creek.
Note: Big Rock is circulating a map, but it doesn’t show all claims. It just shows two small areas on Forest Service land where it wants to explore. For recent information and maps click the button below.
A Minnesota company plans to conduct
exploratory drilling for gold near Silver City in the central portion of
the Black Hills National Forest, while two other companies have
withdrawn proposals to drill on forest land.
Big Rock Exploration, of Minneapolis, has submitted a proposed plan of operations for the Silver City area, said Mark Van Every, the forest supervisor. He divulged some information about the plan Wednesday during a meeting of the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board at the Mystic Ranger District Office in Rapid City. … Read More
COMMENTS ON PROPOSED CHANGE TO ACID LEACH URANIUM MINE. – Had to be MAILED by Jan. 22nd. We will continue to monitor this issue and update as necessary.
Photo courtesy of NPS
Please take a few minutes to read this and then to write a letter to stop a bad plan for uranium mining on the northwest edge of the Black Hills. Strata Energy operates the Ross in situ leach uranium mine in view of Mato Tipila, also known as Devil’s Tower, an important cultural/sacred site, and now a National Monument.
This mine has been operating using the same type of leaching
as other modern ISL uranium mines in the U.S., alkaline leaching. But now it wants to change to using
sulfuric acid for the leaching.
This would be the first commercial-scale acid leach uranium mine in the
country.
YOUR WRITTEN COMMENT MUST BE MAILED BY JAN 22, 2019 TO ARRIVE IN CHEYENNE, WYOMING.
We oppose changing to acid leaching. We want the mine shut down. Get written comments in the mail to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality by Tuesday, January 22. Mailing information is below.
Here are some things you might want to include in your
comments:
This mine should not be allowed to operate in
sight of an important cultural and sacred site. Instead of extending its life by using acid leaching, the
mine should be shut down.
The history of in situ leach uranium mining
shows that there will be leaks and spills of the sulfuric acid. Spills at some modern mines have been
extensive, and you should not assume it won’t happen at the Ross mine.
There hasn’t been much study of acid leach
uranium mining by independent scientists (who aren’t working for uranium
companies). The studies that do
exist show that restoring the groundwater after mining is unlikely. The mine should not be switched to acid
leaching. It should be shut down
before any further damage is done.
The money that has been set aside to deal with
problems is not adequate. If acid
leaching is allowed, then additional money needs to be set aside. It’s harder to restore water after acid
leaching than after alkaline ISL uranium mining – and it takes longer.
Strata Energy is part of Peninsula Minerals, a
company from Australia. If there
are problems, nothing prevents the company from walking away and leaving U.S.
taxpayers with the bill. Many
uranium mines in the Black Hills have been abandoned without being cleaned
up. We don’t need another one.
The State of Wyoming won’t take comments that are e-mailed or faxed, and comments must be received in Cheyenne on January 26 – a Saturday – so actually on January 25.
Mail your comments by Tuesday, January 22, to Administrator, Land Quality Division, Department of Environmental Quality, 200 W. 17th Street, Suite 10, Cheyenne, WY. 82002.
Azarga needs at least 10 permits/licenses before it can legally mine uranium in the Dewey-Burdock area in the Southern Black Hills.
They are:
NRC License (they have it, but can’t use it until litigation is settled)
EPA ISL mining permit
EPA deep disposal well permit
State mining permit
State water permit for Inyan Kara formations
State water permit for Madison formation
State wastewater spraying permit
BLM permission
NPDES wastewater permit
Army Corps of Engineers permit (this is actually a question mark right now, due to changes in federal law)
There will probably also be county permits in Custer County. None needed in Fall River County, as they’ve given them a green light as of like 9 years ago.
