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South Dakota – take heed from Colorado’s bad experience with uranium mining

Colorado has ‘experience’ with uranium mines http://www.argusleader.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/06/03/letter-colorado-experience-uranium-mines/9942453/

Gena Marie ParkhurstRapid City South Dakota can learn from Colorado’s experience with uranium mining. While South Dakota has 272 abandoned uranium mines and prospects, Colorado has 387. While South Dakota has yet to experience an operating in-situ leach uranium mine (Powertech/Azarga is attempting to permit the first one 15 miles northwest of Edgemont), Colorado has experienced experimental in-situ leach uranium mining, which left elevated levels of gross alpha radiation, beta radiation, nitrate, ammonia and selenium in the underground aquifer. The contamination got worse after the mine was declared “restored.”

Colorado has had enough. Colorado House legislators recently passed new regulations on uranium processing. The bill sets minimum standards for groundwater cleanups before a company can be let off the hook. It also requires uranium and thorium mines to get a radioactive materials license from the state health department if they use a new process that involves injecting water into the mine’s rock formations.

Colorado state Representative Jared Wright, R-Fruita, said new mining technologies often pollute, despite promises to be safe and clean. “This bill is about protecting our citizens, those we are all here today to serve,” Wright said.

Let’s hope our legislators take heed and protect our water in 2015’s legislative session.

June 5, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Uranium, USA