nuclear-news

Groundwater threatened by uranium mining

“It’s a huge potential for contamination of groundwater.”

Uranium Mining In The Black Hills – Debra White Plume’s Response to ‘Clean Nuclear’ Republic of Lakotah, March 3, 2010 The planned uranium mine site in the southern Black Hills can impact four aquifers. Powertech, Inc. USA plans to begin uranium extraction in 2011 and operate for 15 years in the permit area of 10,580 acres located in Dewey and Burdock Counties, north of Edgemont, SD. PT plans to drill 4000-8000 wells to a depth of 400-800 feet underground to extract 1 million pounds uranium per year, initially using 4000 gallons of water per minute. As well as the four aquifers in this area, the site includes the surface water of Beaver Creek and Pass Creek, which empty into the Cheyenne River downstream from the mine site….

Water Pollution A Major Concern In SD

Environmental and conservation groups, including the Sierra Club of SD, warn that water pollution will be a major concern if the mining company Powertech is given a permit to mine for uranium. Shirley Frederick, with the Sierra Club’s Black Hills Group, says there’s a high likelihood that aquifers will become polluted if an injection-well recovery system is used to mine the ore. “It’s a huge potential for contamination of groundwater.”

Uranium Mining In The Black Hills – Debra White Plume’s Response to ‘Clean Nuclear’ : Republic of Lakotah – Mitakuye Oyasin

March 5, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, environment, water | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive