Rapid City Council Legal and Finance Committee Votes to Forward Resolution Opposing Uranium Mine to the Full Council
Dakota Rural Action Thanks the Legal and Finance Committee for Listening to Concerns of Citizens
The Rapid City Council’s Legal and Finance Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday, August 14, 2013, to forward to the Full Council a resolution opposing Powertech Uranium Corp’s proposed in-situ uranium mine near Edgemont, SD. Dakota Rural Action, a statewide grassroots family agriculture and conservation group, thanks our Rapid City public officials for continuing to move this resolution forward.
Dakota Rural Action Black Hills Chapter members and other concerned citizens attended the Committee meeting and provided testimony about concerns regarding safety and contamination issues that are occurring at all currently operating in-situ leach (ISL) mines, like the neighboring Crow Butte Resources ISL mine by Crawford, NE.
“In a perfect world, I think such a mine could produce uranium and not harm our water sources,” says Shirley Frederick of Rapid City, “but we don’t live in a perfect world.” She continued, “The rock containing an aquifer can fracture. Pipes fail. Companies go bankrupt.” Many others also brought up points of concern about the viability and integrity of the foreign-owned company.
Powertech’s spokesperson and Project Manager, Mark Hollenbeck, admitted in his statement that leaks and excursions will happen. He then implied that these radioactive leaks at the proposed Dewey-Burdock uranium mine would be just like a leak in the Rapid City public sewer lines.
“I am stunned and dismayed that Powertech would equate a radioactive leak with a leak in a public sewer system,” stated Clay Uptain, the Black Hills Chapter’s chairperson. “To my knowledge, the Rapid City public sewer system does not currently contain radioactive contaminants and we all hope it remains that way.”
The next Rapid City Council meeting will be Monday, August 19 at 6:30 pm, 300 Sixth Street. The public is encouraged to attend.
The Black Hills Chapter is a community-based affiliate of Dakota Rural Action members. The Black Hills Chapter organizes around local food, community, renewable energy, natural resources, sustainable agriculture and land preservation issues. The Chapter’s current campaign is to stop uranium mining in the Black Hills.