Rapid City Council Votes to Draft Resolution of Concern Regarding Uranium Mine
Dakota Rural Action Thanks Mayor and City Council for Listening to Concerns of Citizens
The Rapid City Council voted unanimously on Monday, August 5, 2013, to draft a resolution of concern regarding Powertech Uranium Corp’s proposed in-situ uranium mine near Edgemont, SD. Dakota Rural Action, a statewide grassroots family agriculture and conservation group, thanks Mayor Kooiker and the City Council for listening to the concerns of its citizen.
Dakota Rural Action Black Hills Chapter members attended the council meeting and provided testimony about concerns of clean water and impact to tourism in the Black Hills. Black Hills Chapter member Gena Parkhurst stated, “no ISL mining operation has been able to return water quality to pre-mining cleanliness” in her statement to the city council.
Council members described the mine “as a risk to our water is not acceptable” and Alderwoman Charity Doyle stated that 72-percent of the State’s tourism dollars are generated in the Black Hills. Alderwoman Doyle also said, through her research, that she hasn’t found one case of in-situ leach mining being done safely. Alderman Brad Estes noted how contamination of water would surely dampen tourists enthusiasm to visit Western South Dakota.
Mayor Kooiker guided the council members, saying that a resolution carries a lot more weight if passed with unanimous support. The resolution will go before the Public Works Committee next week.
“We remain very grateful to Mayor Kooiker and the Rapid City Council for standing with its citizens on this very important issue,” stated Clay Uptain, the Black Hills Chapter’s chairperson.
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.