This diverse group each took their turns standing before the state panel of nine white men who were sitting at tables wearing conservative suits and stoic faces. These men were from the mining board who were to give approval for the in-situ uranium mining permits in the Black Hills. The people spoke into the microphone so as to be heard by the others in the large room and they expressed their fears about the strong possibilities of the pollution of the water and the allowing of this permit to Powertech opening up to other companies, lying in wait to mine for uranium throughout all of the Black Hills.
The following are excerpts from several of the people speaking to the uranium mining board on September 23, 2013 in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Water is life. We cannot live without it. Our children cannot live without it. The wildlife, from the smallest of the insects, frogs and birds - to the coyotes, eagles,deer and cattle that drink the water, must have it unpolluted in order to survive. We cannot sell contaminated meat to the people. Our children cannot eat the fish that come from the rivers and lakes that have been touched by those contaminants.
Floods, earthquakes, winds and any form of natural disasters such as in Fukushimo and as recently as the foods in Colorado, can, and will occur. We do not know what lies beneath the ground and what may happen in the aquifers. Our earth changes and moves and so can water filled with the poisons. We do know that the discharge ponds polluted with selenium and other heavy metals cannot ever be safeguarded from the wildlife, the toxins increasing in intensity as they travel up the food chain.
My ranch is near the uranium mining operation by Crawford, Nebraska. They told me everything would be safe. Today they use that mine as a model for in-situ mining, but today my wells are polluted. How can you ranch with polluted wells?
You white people can take your money and move. I am poor. My people cannot move. We must remain on our land. You may be third generation on this land. We are one hundred generation on our land. It is all about the money for those who want this mining. It is greed for what is now and no care for the generations to come.
I believe that love will triumph over greed. It is stronger. Love for this land and our water is more powerful than this desire for short term "economic development". Love comes from us...the people. The love is for our land, our air, our water and for our children and their children. Our water is not for sale to foreign companies. They do not care about the purity of our water. They do not live here.
Some of you fighting for the mining company own stock. You have much to lose if these permits are not approved. What you lose is temporary. You cannot eat and drink uranium and other heavy metals. If these companies get the rights to our water, this beautiful land in these Hills will forever be polluted. In time those who drink the water will die slow and painful deaths. We know that cancer follows the yellow cake as surely as the rivers flow and the aquifers bleed into our earth, our springs, and other aquifers - just as certain as the rains, the floods, the earthquakes, the wildfires and the winds will come to spread the contamination through the air, the water and the soil.
It is our water, our air, our earth. Our politicians should not listen to the corporations who never clean up as they promised. If they did the research they would know that this type of mining will leave a mess for the taxpayers. On the other hand, it will leave increased jobs for the medical profession. They must listen to us, the people. They have been elected to represent the people. But when the money glistens, the leaders listen. It is all about the money.
There are those who seek the money and there are those who want an uncontaminated earth. It is long term versus short term. Which side will win out in the end?
For more details on the daily hearings go to http://denr.sd.gov/des/mm/powertechminepermitapp.aspx#audio
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