RCJ columnist David Rooks confirms what I heard on Facebook earlier this week: the Hot Springs City Council voted 5–2 Monday to formally oppose Canadian uranium company Powertech's application to draw 9,051 gallons of water a minute for 20 years from local groundwater. (Perspective: Powertech will irrevocably pollute in one minute the amount of water my three-person family treatably uses in three months.) At Monday's meeting, Rooks heard little reason to support to mining project:
The only counter argument I heard at the meeting was a county resident’s claim that the mine would produce five jobs. The room shrank away: I’d gone down Alice’s looking glass. When the vote was counted, it passed with two against the letter. One of the nay votes reasoned he didn’t know enough about it to oppose the the permits.
Again my mental gears ground shut. Shouldn’t not knowing enough about uranium in situ leach mining, particularly as it applies to our most precious resource -- water -- be a solid reason to oppose it?
Through the looking glass again [David Rook, "For Whom the Bill Tolls," Rapid City Journal, 2012.11.23].
Indeed! Powertech should have the burden of proof to demonstrate that its project will produce more good than harm. Five local jobs gained versus billions of gallons of water polluted beyond use doesn't sound like a balanced equation to me.
Opponents of the project may have time on their side. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is supposed to take public input on Powertech's water permits on December 5, but DENR chief Steve Pirner says the application is complex enough and there will be so much information to review that DENR probably won't take up the applications until spring. That gives the Rapid City-based Clean Water Alliance more time to rally public opposition and even to lobby the Legislature. If the public demonstrates enough concern about this enormous appropriation of water by one foreign company in the midst of the drought, the Legislature will find it difficult not to act in the interest of South Dakota ranchers, farmers, and water drinkers.
Then again, maybe we shouldn't get too optimistic about our Legislature's ability to put the public good over dollars waved at them by Canadian companies. Drunk with deregulatory fervor, our Legislature has consistently put crony-capitalist favors over environmental sensibility and South Dakota sovereignty. But the Clean Water Alliance, Defenders of the Black Hills, and other groups interested in drinking water that doesn't glow should take advantage of DENR's delay to lobby in the Legislature to raise public awareness and argue for sensible state regulation of the hazards posed by uranium mining to South Dakotans' livelihoods in the Black Hills.
"South Dakota legislators foolishly passed SB158 in 2011 stripping the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of its regulatory and protective services for “in situ leach” uranium mining (fracking) for the citizens of South Dakota. Sen. Bruce Rampelberg and Reps. David Lust, Brian Gosch, Lance Russell and Mike Verchio all co-sponsored that bill, essentially giving away our water."
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/opinion/forum-permitting-uranium-mining-begins-water-wars/article_0b178a2c-c7f4-5885-bde0-67ef5d7822eb.html
another great post Cory! Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention. All South Dakotans should be outraged that this would even be considered. Public opposition should be strong on this. I just worry that "should" and what really happens, might not be the same thing (re: worried!!)
By the way..... it looks like you "hit the water" this week!! (just getting caught up on your water related posts!) Can't thank you enough!
Mark Hollenbeck is to organic as yellowcake is to peace:
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/edgemont-area-ranchers-clash-over-proposed-uranium-mine/article_80a62962-bb85-5079-aae2-916e223d22d7.html
Mr. Woster's reporting on this is, well, interesting. A couple of questions that Mr. Woster must have forgotten to ask Mr. Hollenbeck:
1) How long have you been the...uh hem.. Project Manager for Powertech?' and....
2) How much did they pay you upon hire and how much is your current salary?
Mr. Woster - follow the money, follow the money. I would also be interested in Powertech's political contributions to Federal, State, and Local politicians....
At this rate, Canada will own South Dakota by the next Presidential election.
Nothing is sacred in red states:
http://bismarcktribune.com/news/columnists/clay-jenkinson/article_0031c946-341a-11e2-91f4-001a4bcf887a.html
There are worse countries who could take us over. At least Canada would give us single-payer health insurance. I like Canada a lot. But I don't want to be owned by their corporate energy raiders.
Sorry to post this twice...but I put it in the wrong thread.
Since we are talking about water...
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1914808.html
"This could be a major, major impact at crisis level," said Debra Colbert, senior vice president of the Waterways Council, a public policy organization representing ports and shipping companies. "It is an economic crisis that is going to ripple across the nation at a time when we're trying to focus on recovery."
...when we can't cheaply ship grains from the heartland to the world, that's a HUGE problem. When we can't cheaply ship fuel and farm supplies to the heartland, that's a huge problem.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/26/1164636/-Drought-and-Low-Water-The-Mississippi-May-Be-Unnavigable-Within-Weeks
Keep nuclear decay in the ground:
http://www.baconsrebellion.com/articles/2012/12/uranium_cleanup.html