“Clean” Nuclear Energy Corp. (CNEC), a subsidiary of Basin Uranium, has applied to the State of South Dakota to explore for radioactive uranium in Fall River County, north of Edgemont in an area near the rim of Craven Canyon. This project, called “Chord” is part of a larger plan to drill on both state and federal lands in the Craven Canyon area.
What’s so special about Craven Canyon?
Craven Canyon and surrounding areas contain rock art and other artifacts that are up to seven thousand years old, and are of inestimable cultural, archeological, and scientific value. A small mineral claims withdrawal (+/-160 acres) protects some sites, but many more artifacts and sites of interest have been found in unprotected areas in and around the Canyon.
CNEC’s project on state lands would involve 50 drill platforms near the rim of the canyon, with drilling depths up to 700 feet. Each hole could take up to two weeks to drill, and the activities would be seen and heard within the Canyon, where ceremony and study continue to this day.
SUBMIT A Comment
You can comment online using the web form HERE, or mail your comment to: Minerals, Mining, and Superfund Program, 523 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota 57501-3182. For more information & guidance on how to comment, visit our Craven Canyon Project Page.
Become 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.Visit our Craven Canyon Project Page for more information & guidance on how to intervene.