In response, the operating heap leach mines, of which there are four, in conjunction with the Mining Association of South Dakota, went on the offensive, assuring a worried citizenry that the Black Hills would never become one huge mine dump and that its streams would not be poisoned with cyanide. In a referendum, the heap leachers won on the strength of economic realities and promises of clean operations.
The governor of the state, meanwhile, is pushing through a bill that, among other things, restricts open pit mining to a pre- determined total acreage. The state is also assessing the cumulative environmental impact of all mining operations in the Black Hills. And finally, a new tax will be levied against mining companies. This tax will cover the costs of state-run environmental research and monitoring units.
Fortunately, radicalism in pursuit of clean air and water has not won the tug-of-war for the multiple treasures of the Black Hills. However, the heap leachers who are extracting Dakota gold must wage a continual campaign to retain the privilege of mining.
I don’t doubt that, with rising environmental concerns, the Dakota experience will move north into Canada.
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