State Level Comment Notices

2/27/2025 Update:

HCR 6010 MOVES FORWARD

Title: Encouraging the Executive Board of the Legislative Research Council to establish an interim legislative committee on preserving and protecting the Black Hills of South Dakota.

CONTACT SENATE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOW!

House Concurrent Resolution 6010, which supports a legislative study of current major issues in the Black Hills — including mining — was passed by the SD House of Representatives last week!  Thanks for your emails and calls in favor of this Resolution!

Next, it was sent to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, where it will be voted on this coming Tuesday, March 4 (See Agenda).  Please email the members of the Senate Committee now and ask them to support HCR 6010!  Their email addresses are: 

Sydney.Davis@sdlegislature.gov, Helene.Duhamel@sdlegislature.gov, Kevin.Jensen@sdlegislature.gov, Sam.Marty@sdlegislature.gov, Tom.Pischke@sdlegislature.gov, Michael.Rohl@sdlegislature.gov, Curt.Voight@sdlegislature.gov

Staffer: hillary.Larsen@sdlegislature.gov

The text of the resolution can be found here: 2025 House Concurrent Resolution 6010 | South Dakota Legislature

If you want to give testimony romotely on HCR 6010 you can do so by following these directions: A person may submit a request to appear from a remote site and give testimony before this committee. Submit requests, a digital handout, or written testimony at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting to senateagnaturalresources@sdlegislature.gov.

2/18/2025 update from 2/11/2025 update

LAST MINUTE ACTION NEEDED ASAP OR SOONER!

SUPPORT HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 6010

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING 2/20/25 = TAKE ACTION NOW ON HCR 6010

The SD Legislature is considering an important Resolution (not a bill) on Thursday morning.  This is House Concurrent Resolution 6010 (HCR 6010).  The mining industry is pushing hard against this Resolution, and we need to SUPPORT it.

The Resolution would request a Legislature study committee on regulations about several things, including “the expansion of mineral and mining extractive industries.”  Its goal is “to protect the environmental health and historical character of the Black Hills” and to allow “future generations to be blessed to appreciate” the beauty and health of the Hills. 

SEE https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26243/280888?Year=2025

The hearing on HCR 6010 will be before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and we need people to contact all members of this committee and say you SUPPORT HCR 6010 ASAP.  Before noon and definitely no later than 4:00 on Wed., Feb. 19th.  Don’t wait until Thursday, as the Committee meets at 7:30-9:45 AM CST. SEE AGENDA https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/282217.pdf#page=1

Following is the list of the Committee members’ email addresses that you can copy and past into your email TO field. Note: copy the entire list to send a bulk email.

Julie.Auch@sdlegislature.gov, Tim.Goodwin@sdlegislature.gov, Spencer.Gosch@sdlegislature.gov, Jana.Hunt@sdlegislature.gov, Travis.Ismay@sdlegislature.gov, Trish.Ladner@sdlegislature.gov, Kaley.Nolz@sdlegislature.gov, Marty.Overweg@sdlegislature.gov, Drew.Peterson@sdlegislature.gov, Kathy.Rice@sdlegislature.gov, Kevin.VanDiepen@sdlegislature.gov, Richard.Vasgaard@sdlegislature.gov, Kadyn.Wittman@sdlegislature.gov

Do it now, before you forget.  Save The Hills!  THANKS!

NOTE: Isn’t it interesting that the mining industry opposes environmental health — the environment AND our health?

2/14/2025 update

HOUSE BILL 1258 DIES IN COMMITTEE BY ONE VOTE

SD House Bill 1258, which would have changed the laws so that lithium mining was regulated like other types of hard rock mining, almost made it out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee yesterday. A couple of the legislators said that they heard from a lot of people about the bill, so THANK YOU for contacting them!

Representative Kadyn Wittman of Sioux Falls made a motion to send the bill to the full House of Representatives (“Do Pass”). That motion missed going forward by one vote — 6 for and six against. Then, a motion was made to send the bill “to the 41st day,” and that motion passed eight yes and four no. There is no 41st day of the legislative session, so this killed the bill for this year. 

Here is the webpage with more information, including how each person voted:  2025 House Bill 1258 | South Dakota Legislature You can click on the name and find their contact information. If you can contact Representatives Auch, Ismay, Rice, Nolz, Whitman, and Hunt (and especially Wittman) and thank them for voting “Yea” on the “Do Pass” motion, that would be great the next time we go to Pierre (next week).

Thank you for your work to support HB 1258!

2/6/2025 update

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT! ACT NOW TO PROTECT WATER AND HEALTH!  LITHIUM  MINING BILL IN THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

HB 1258 will go before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, Feb. 13th, 7:45 (CST) or 6:45 am (MT)HB 1258 – subject lithium mining operations to certain provisions regarding permitting, annual reporting, disturbed land limitations, and mined land reclamation. Read entire HB 1258 HERE.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

Areas across the Black Hills are under exploration by companies that want to explore for — and potentially mine — lithium.  In South Dakota, lithium mining is currently regulated like sand and gravel mining.  But lithium mining is hard rock mining and needs to be regulated with other hard rock minerals, like gold and silver.  Lithium mining is also markedly more dangerous than sand and gravel mining — both in terms of human health and water contamination and in terms of the likelihood of explosions and fires.   HB 1258 would place lithium mining with other hard rock mining, which would require better planning, give us more protections, and allow public input during the permitting process.  The fact sheet below provides more information and actions you can take now to support HB 1258.  Don’t wait — this bill will be heard by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in Pierre on Thursday, Feb. 13th, 7:35 (CST) or 6:45 am (MT). Thank you.

We encourage you to attend the hearing in Pierre on Thursday morning (7:45 CT).

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO TESTIFY ON HB 1258

If you want to testify, realize that we will have very little time and need to be organized about:

  • who talks
  • what topics they talk about, and
  • what order to go in

— so we can cover all topics and so that several people don’t repeat the same information.  

The committee chair sets the time for testimony by those who are for a bill at the time testimony starts.  We usually get 10 to 15 minutes total.  For each person who does get to talk, the usual time slot is 1.5 to 3 minutes.  So if you are on the list to testify, it’s important to prepare and to time yourself beforehand.  It is oh-so-easy to talk longer than 3 minutes (usually enough to make one point and explain it). 

The bill’s sponsor is preparing a list of who might testify (all time dependent).  If you want to testify, contact Rep. Uhre-Balk at Nicole.Uhre-balk@sdlegislature.com.  

Numbers matter! Do it ASAP and encourage others to do it too.

Here’s how: 

  • Go to the Committee’s page at: 2025 House Agriculture and Natural. 
  • Under REPRESENTATIVES: Click on each legislator’s name to get to their contact information. 
  • Call or email and ask them to support HB 1258 when it is heard by the Committee. Tell them briefly why you support the bill. Always be respectful.
  • CLICK ON Find My Legislator at the top of the page to find the names of your district’s representatives. Contact them and ask them to support HB 1258 and/or be a co-sponsor of the bill.
  • Can’t go in person? A person may submit a request to appear from a remote site and give testimony before this committee. Submit requests, a digital handout, or written testimony at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting to houseagnaturalresources@sdlegislature.gov.
  • Read the entire HB 1258 HERE.
CLICK HERE FOR HEARING LOCATION AND COMMITTEE EMAIL ADDRESSES

This hearing will be Room 414 at the State Capital located at 500 E. Capital Ave, Pierre, SD. Please double check before going in person as the room number may change prior to the meeting. You can find that information here: https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Committee/1225/Agendas

Following is the list of the Committee members email addresses that you can copy and past into your email TO field. Note: copy the entire list to send a bulk email.

Julie.Auch@sdlegislature.gov, Tim.Goodwin@sdlegislature.gov, Spencer.Gosch@sdlegislature.gov, Jana.Hunt@sdlegislature.gov, Travis.Ismay@sdlegislature.gov, Trish.Ladner@sdlegislature.gov, Kaley.Nolz@sdlegislature.gov, Marty.Overweg@sdlegislature.gov, Drew.Peterson@sdlegislature.gov, Kathy.Rice@sdlegislature.gov, Kevin.VanDiepen@sdlegislature.gov, Richard.Vasgaard@sdlegislature.gov, Kadyn.Wittman@sdlegislature.gov

Let your district members of the House and Senate know your concerns and how important our region is: health and wellness of people, wildlife, state tourism dollars, etc.

Find My Legislators | South Dakota Legislature 

All public notices generated by South Dakota’s Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources are available at this link https://danr.sd.gov/public/ . Links are provided to each public notice and supporting information. The DANR handles applications and permits for a variety of projects from across the state. Once on the website, scroll down to a project you’re interested in and/or tracking and click on the links provided in the right column.

EI: Ground Water Discharge. A plan needs to be approved for discharges to ground water. For more information on ground water discharge permits or to view contested cases…

Public participation is an important component of the rule-making and permitting process and DANR wants to hear from you. Unfortunately, the public comments we receive are often too broad to be considered in the decision-making process. The following information is provided to assist the general public and other stakeholders in preparing and submitting effective public comments. Read more at https://danr.sd.gov/public/pctips.aspx

To find any “NEW EXPLORATION NOTICE OF INTENT AND URANIUM EXPLORATION PERMIT APPLICATIONS” go to: https://danr.sd.gov/Environment/MineralsMining/Exploration/NewEXNIS.aspx

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