"...the Canadians have already been able to change some state regulations to accommodate "in situ" leach mining..."
March 30, 2008
‘Yellowcake’: Good or Bad?
South Dakota is truly becoming an energy-producing state, thanks to biofuels and a few wind energy pioneers. Now, a Canadian corporation wants to explore the potential for uranium mining in western South Dakota and apparently the Canadians have already been able to change some state regulations to accommodate "in situ" leach mining, which involves the injection of chemicals into the ground to dissolve the uranium.
The South Dakota Water Management Board will meet in Rapid City this week to discuss rule changes that would further enhance such mining.
So prepare for controversy, and be ready to educate yourself to the benefits and pitfalls. Uranium mining has been controversial throughout the West, and for that matter throughout the world.
In the 1970s, I was publishing The Observer, a weekly paper in Yankton County. Some farmers stopped by my office to ask if we'd heard anything about some strangers from Colorado who were drilling test holes in ditches around the area. We drove out to talk to the drillers — polite young fellows who admitted without too much questioning that they worked for Anaconda Copper.
So we started calling Anaconda Copper company's headquarters, pretending to be state regulators, and asking exactly what they were doing and where. Finally, some big wig gave us the exact story: they were testing for uranium.
You'd think they might have had the courtesy of informing the landowners and county officials before drilling in our ditches. They said they didn't want their competitors to know about Yankton County. We shared that in common with Anaconda ... but little else. A few public meetings were held (the photo above was taken at a meeting in Irene), and Anaconda disappeared. Either we didn't have much uranium underground, or they didn't like Yankton County's political environment.
Still, ever since those days I've followed uranium explorations with a personal interest. As I understand, the only uses for uranium are l) nuclear weapons and 2) nuclear power plants. We will truly be in the middle of a powerful controversy ... one that has received very little media attention in East River, South Dakota.
It's interesting to note that Anaconda Copper Company is now owned by British Petroleum, and according to Wikipedia it only exists "as an environmental liability" on BP's books.
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