RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - The Oglala Sioux Tribe is considering whether to appeal a decision by a panel of judges that a proposed uranium mine site in southwest South Dakota doesn’t have to be surveyed for Native American burials or artifacts.
The three judges with the U.S. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board said the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission tried diligently to do an on-the-ground survey for Native American burials, artifacts and other historical and cultural resources. But, they say the commission was justified in giving up because the tribe wouldn’t cooperate.
The company proposing the mine, Powertech, a subsidiary of Azarga Uranium, in Canada, still has several more regulatory approvals to obtain before it can begin mining, including licenses and permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Azarga Uranium’s president and CEO, Blake Steele, said in a news release Friday that the decision on the survey contention was a “monumental achievement for the company,” the Rapid City Journal reported.
Powertech wants to mine uranium for use in nuclear power plants.
The tribe has until Jan. 6 to file an appeal.
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