The State Water Management Board has postponed its hearings on a controversial uranium mine planned for the Southern Black Hills.
The hearings, that had been taking place in Rapid City, were examining the mines plans to use water out of two different aquifers.
A number of conservation groups opposed the mine project—in part because of the large amount of waste water generated in the mining process.
The city council in Rapid City also passed a resolution opposing the uranium mine. City officials expressed concern over the impact to the quantity and quality of local water.
Officials with the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources say the hearings were postponed at the request of the mining company and other parties. The move comes after the State Board of Minerals and Environment also postponed its future meetings.
DENR officials say the boards will resume hearings only after federal agencies like the EPA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have had a chance to rule on the proposed mine.
