updated 7/13/22
Take Action This Week! Tell Pennington County to Strength their draft mining ordinance. Showing up at the next commissioner’s meeting on Tuesday, July 19th is critical.
On July 5th, the Pennington County Commissioners met on the CONTESTED HEARING(S):
Public Hearing of Ordinance Amendment / OA 22-01: To add Section 321 “Hard
Rock Mining” [to add Section 321 “Hard Rock Mining”] to the Pennington
County Zoning Ordinance.
We believe that this draft ordinance is currently weak in several areas. The commissioners listened to our concerns and decided that they will keep the public comment opportunity open on this ordinance until further notice. Now we must take action – many more citizens must send in their comment via email, phone call, and by showing up at their next commissioner’s meeting on Tuesday, July 19, beginning at 9:00 AM at the Commission Chambers at 130 Kansas City Street, Rapid City.
NOTE: Be sure to check the Commissioner’s Calendar to see the meeting agenda and what item number the HRMO is listed for time consideration.
WHAT’S AT STAKE? FUTURE GENERATIONS’ WATER. The Hard Rock Mining Ordinance would be extremely important for protection of Pennington County’s water, landscapes, and agriculture/tourism economy. It would give the County a say when companies want to mine. So your email or call or testimony should start and end by saying you are IN FAVOR of the Ordinance.
A fairly current version of the Ordinance: http://docs.pennco.org/docs/PZ/ORD22-01.pdf
If you have time to add other information that will help support making the Hard Rock Mining Ordinance stronger — here are some ideas:
- Water protection should be first priority, and surface and ground water protection at all stages of a project should be in the ordinance
- Pegmatite minerals (like lithium, which is under exploration in the southern part of the county) are hard rock minerals and should be included in this Ordinance
- Social and economic issues should be added back into the ordinance
- Residents should be protected from mining operations. The distances for giving people notice, the distance from residences to a mine, and the distance from residences to blasting should be increased
- The Hard Rock Mining Ordinance should protect the County from the impacts of exploration, not just mining.
WHO TO CONTACT:
PENNINGTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:
Gary Drewes, Chair
605-940-1120
gary.drewes@gmail.com
Lloyd LaCroix, Vice Chair
605-545-4269
Deb Hadcock
605-389-0395
debdistrict3@vastbb.net
Travis Lasseter
605-391-0416
travis.lasseter@pennco.org
Ron Rossknecht
605-391-1162
Commissioners’ Office Phone Number: 605-394-2171
Click here for a contact form: Board of Commissioners – Pennington County, South Dakota
A fairly current version of the Ordinance: http://docs.pennco.org/docs/PZ/ORD2
Commissioners overview. https://www.pennco.org/boc_agendas
updated 6/26/22
IMPORTANT CALL TO ACTION: The Pennington County Commissioners to Consider Hard-Rock Mining Ordinance.
TUESDAY, JULY 5 — IMPORTANT MEETING – Call and Email This Week — And BE THERE!
The Pennington County Commission will be considering a Hard Rock Mining Ordinance on Tuesday, July 5 at 9:00 AM at the Commission Chambers at 130 Kansas City Street, Rapid City.
It is critical that EVERYONE getting this message spend a few minutes this week calling and/or emailing the Commissioners — and that a lot of people show up for the Commission meeting — and say that they are IN FAVOR of the ordinance!
Take Action This Week!
A fairly current version of the Ordinance: http://docs.pennco.org/docs/PZ/ORD22-01.pdf
The Hard Rock Mining Ordinance would be extremely important for protection of Pennington County’s water, landscapes, and agriculture/tourism economy. It would give the County a say when companies want to mine. So your email or call or testimony should start and end by saying you are IN FAVOR of the Ordinance.
If you have time to add other information, say that you also support making the Hard Rock Mining Ordinance stronger — here are some ideas:
- Water protection should be first priority, and surface and ground water protection at all stages of a project should be in the ordinance
Pegmatite minerals (like lithium, which is under exploration in the southern part of the county) are hard rock minerals and should be included in this Ordinance - Social and economic issues should be added back into the ordinance
- Residents should be protected from mining operations. The distances for giving people notice, the distance from residences to a mine, and the distance from residences to blasting should be increased
- The Hard Rock Mining Ordinance should protect the County from the impacts of exploration, not just mining.
Commissioners’ names are Gary Drewes, Lloyd LaCroix, Deb Hadcock, Travis Lasseter and Ron Rossknecht (Contact emails and phone numbers below).
Commissioners’ Office Phone Number: 605-394-2171
Commissioners’ email address: Contact Us – Pennington County, South Dakota
Board of Commissioners – Pennington County, South Dakota
Gary Drewes, Chair
605-940-1120
gary.drewes@gmail.com
Lloyd LaCroix, Vice Chair
605-545-4269
Deb Hadcock
605-389-0395
debdistrict3@vastbb.net
Travis Lasseter
605-391-0416
travis.lasseter@pennco.org
Ron Rossknecht
605-391-1162
A fairly current version of the Ordinance: http://docs.pennco.org/docs/PZ/ORD2
updated 5/18/22
Pennington County Planning Commission Meeting
When: Mon, May 23, 9am – 1pm (MNT)
This Planning Commission Meeting scheduled may give us another chance to give comments on the Hard Rock Mining Ordinance – Board Calendar
Where: Commission Chambers, 130 Kansas City St, Rapid City, SD 57701 Map
Monday’s Agenda HERE (check back on their link as this has not been updated yet)
PENNINGTON COUNTY’S STAFF REPORT ON THE DRAFT HARD ROCK MINING ORDINANCE WAS LAST UPDATED IN APRIL. (CLICK HERE TO REVIEW THIS REPORT) Note: A full online Commissioners packet can be found here, however the HRMO Staff Report started on page 215 so we extracted those pages (25) for your convenience.
See below for talking points and information on past meetings.
You can send comments to both brittneym@pennco.org and plz@pennco.org – ask that they be forwarded to all the members of the Planning Committee.
Below are a few ideas of what to say. Introduce yourself. If you are a Pennington County resident, say so. Say why you care about this Ordinance. DO NOT copy the bullet points (below). Pick two and put them into your own words. Then explain why those two points are important to you. That will fill all the time you will have to comment.
TAKING POINTS – Potential issues include:
- I support the new Pennington County Hard Rock Mining Operations Ordinance, because it will help protect our water and our county.
- With a few changes, this Ordinance can be even better. One is Section D.4.I – Definition of Hard Rock Mining Operation. We need to add waste rock disposal and settling ponds to the final version of this definition, so we have a way to regulate them. Both are dirty parts of the mining process. Waste rock disposal usually means a dam, a body of water, and the actual waste rock. This is a bad situation that could be made worse if it isn’t properly regulated – especially since in Pennington County it would probably be upstream from Rapid City.
- Section E.3.e should clearly say that a Water Reclamation Plan must be part of the Reclamation Plan. Right now, it isn’t included.
- Tribal Historic Preservation Officers should have a clear role in the Ordinance process, not just be given notice that someone has applied to mine.
- South Dakota government has never denied a mining permit. We need a strong, local Ordinance to protect us from the problems that mining often brings.
- The final Ordinance should require that property owners within one mile should be notified of the mining application in Section F.1.A – not half a mile, as in the current draft Ordinance.
- There should be better protection for historical and cultural resources in Section H. These resources are an important part of Pennington County’s past and present.
- Important! The statement in Section A that permits mining anywhere in the county if someone has a patented mining claim means that people who already own mining land would get special treatment. This provides a special favor to one or a few hard rock mining companies – something that should not happen. Also, some zoning districts need to be fully protected from mining. This statement needs to be removed from the final version of the Ordinance.
FEB. 9TH STAFF REPORT: Draft of the Hard Rock Mining Ordinance for review and download. This one also includes some comments made by the public.
See page 2 for the previous Public Comments, Meetings, etc.
Black Hills Clean Water Alliance 