Let your district members of the South Dakota House and Senate know your concerns and how important protecting water in the Black Hills is for the health and wellness of people, wildlife, outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing, and the state’s tourism dollars.

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CNEC application for exploration of uranium on state lands adjacent to Craven Canyon is now a contested case. To go directly to those documents and notices for this case click HERE or https://danr.sd.gov/public/ccdocs.aspx?CCID=CCID123

Note: This link takes you to the SD DANR website for Contested Cases at https://danr.sd.gov/public/ContestedCase.aspx. There you can click on the highlighted Documents link under each cases listed.

If you get a ERROR notice at any one of the State’s links try doing a Refresh for your browser or try a different web-browser (Safari, FireFox, Chrome). You can also notify us at CONTACT US. Please be specific and include the URL giving the error.

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Update 5/10/25 – 

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT COMMENT OR INTERVENE IS MAY 14.

Clean Nuclear Energy Corp (CNEC) notice of intent to explore for uranium on state lands adjacent to Craven Canyon has been published. 

Public comments and letters of intervention for the State hearing on this proposed CNEC project are due May 14

You can submit your public comment to the State online at Filing a Comment linked here.

But if you want to become an *Intervenor then you must mail in a letter stating so. That must be mailed by Wednesday, May 14 (or postmarked on this date). We recommend that you send your letter by registered mail to track delivery.

Click here to find our how to about becoming an *intervenor.

Do you have a personal connection to Craven Canyon or the surrounding area? Are you interested in participating in the permit hearings–to ask questions, present evidence, and/or bring witnesses? If so, you may wish to go beyond submitting a comment and become an “intervenor.” 

Intervenors can fully participate in the hearings and help to educate the Board about critical issues they may not be aware of. You will need to make time to attend the hearing, and you may also need to travel (hearings are typically held in Pierre). While organizations and government entities must be represented by an attorney, individuals can represent themselves.
To intervene in a state proceeding, you must submit a letter (“petition”) stating your interest in participating in the hearing. 

What to include in your letter (“petition”) to intervene:

• Your name and address (an email address is useful but not required);
• State that you want to intervene;
• Why you are concerned about uranium exploration in the Craven Canyon area;
• What action you would like the Board of Minerals & Environment to take (presumably to DENY the exploration permit)
• Any facts or information you may have related to the permitting of uranium exploration in the area (issues you may want to bring evidence on or ask questions about during the hearing);
• Your signature and the date

BE BRIEF. You don’t have to argue your case in this letter; just state your interest in participating and one or two issues you want the Board to consider. At least one of those issues should be related to the reasons the Board may lawfully deny the permit (see above).

If you are sumitting a comment or an intervention letter, be sure to ask for the hearing to be moved to Fall River County or Rapid City.

Send your letter to: Minerals, Mining, and Superfund Program, 523 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota 57501-3182 

Send a copy to the applicant: Resident Agent: Clean Nuclear Energy Corp. CT Corporation System, 319 S Coteau St, Pierre, SD 57501

Petitions (letters) of intervention are DUE May 14th. Retain a copy of the letter for your records.

*An intervener is someone or some group/organization who will participate in the hearing directly.

If you need help or have questions, please email DRA Organizer Rebecca Terk at: rebeccat@dakotarural.org

Chord Project

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