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“This case involves Powertech’s [now Azarga] application to conduct In Situ Recovery (ISR)[uranium]mining in Custer and Fall River Counties, South Dakota. The proposed [uranium] mine is within the ancestral land of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and threatens the Tribe’s cultural and groundwater resources, among other substantial impacts…” (Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Petition for Review of LPB-15-16 and Decisions Finding Tribal Contentions Inadmissible” (29 pp.) http://www.powertechexposed.com/2015.05.26%20OGLALA%20SIOUX%20TRIBE’S%20PETITION%20FOR%20REVIEW_ML15146A500.pdf

“Telephonic Status Conference” in the Matter of Powertech USA [now called Azarga] Dewey-Burdock In Situ Leach Uranium Mine 11/07/16 2:00PM – “Those wishing to access this status conference via teleconference (non-speaking, listen only) please email or call Cooper Strickland at Cooper.Strickland@nrc.gov or (301) 415-5880 for more information.” http://meetings.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg?do=details&Code=20161409 The 2 pm time is presumably DC-NY time.

People have been fighting the proposed Dewey Burdock uranium mine in South Dakota for almost a decade. Although some opponents of the Dewey Burdock uranium mining project are also at the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline, the opposition to the more dangerous uranium mining appears to have never gotten the support that opposition to the pipeline has gotten, even though the issues are pretty much the same – endangerment of sacred sites and endangerment of clean water.

Why not? While it’s obvious that water contaminated with oil is more visible to the general public, shouldn’t prayer warriors and clergy be more in tune with invisible dangers? The contamination of land (e.g. spillage; application of radium to land, aka “land application”) and aquifers with uranium mining is an invisible danger.

According to expert testimony by Dr. Hannan LaGarry, if uranium mining were allowed, “contaminated mining water could easily move into what had been clean ground water. There are a number of ranches in the immediate area of the proposed mine that currently use this water for livestock and human consumption.” http://www.sdcleanwateralliance.org/PressRelease_DrLaGarryTestimony_1-2015.pdf

If Water is Life in North Dakota, Isn’t Water Also Life in South Dakota?
Can’t People of Faith Recognize the Invisible Danger of Uranium Mining and Not Just the Visible Danger of Oil?

National Council of Churches Standing Rock "I Stand with them too"
Statements by Various Religious Denominations on Standing Rock: http://bit.ly/2fjRglF

The National Council of Churches should be opposing this uranium mining threat. The NCC is opposed to nuclear weapons and the World Council of Churches clearly opposes nuclear power: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/nuclear-energy-opposed-by-protestant-anglican-orthodox-christian-churches-divestment-from-nuclear-called-for/ (It is unclear if all members of the NCC are also members of the WCC, but most seem to be. An early leader in the National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches, Methodist Bishop Oxnam, was one of only a few high-profile vocal opponents to the use of the atomic bomb before the bombing of Nagasaki occurred.)

Excerpts from the May 26, 2015, “OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE’S PETITION FOR REVIEW OF LPB-15-16 AND DECISIONS FINDING TRIBAL CONTENTIONS INADMISSIBLE“:
“The ASLB found that the FSEIS “has not adequately addressed the environmental effects of the Dewey-Burdock project on Native American cultural, religious, and historic resources, and the required meaningful consultation between the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the NRC Staff has not taken place.” LPB-15-16 at 42…” (p. 18)
“This case involves Powertech’s application to conduct In Situ Recovery (ISR) mining in Custer and Fall River Counties, South Dakota. The proposed mine is within the ancestral land of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and threatens the Tribe’s cultural and groundwater resources, among other substantial impacts.…
The ASLB held a multi-day adjudicatory hearing on August 19-21, 2014 in Rapid City, South Dakota. During the hearing, it was established that Powertech had failed to disclose a substantial amount of geological data in the form of borehole logs from thousands of holes and wells drilled in the project area….“(p. 2)
[…]
“the testimony submitted by Dr. Hannan LaGarry (Exhibit OST-029)(ML14325A866) demonstrated that the data shows significant problems associated with the geologic setting that were not evaluated or reviewed in any NEPA document.” (p. 9) Excerpted from “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE COMMISSION In the Matter of POWERTECH (USA) INC. Docket No. 40-9075-MLA ASLBP No. 10-898-02-MLA-BD01 (Dewey-Burdock In Situ Uranium Recovery Facility May 26, 2015 OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE’S PETITION FOR REVIEW OF LPB-15-16 AND DECISIONS FINDING TRIBAL CONTENTIONS INADMISSIBLE” (29 pp. Emphasis added) http://www.powertechexposed.com/2015.05.26%20OGLALA%20SIOUX%20TRIBE’S%20PETITION%20FOR%20REVIEW_ML15146A500.pdf

Excerpted from
“SUMMARY OF MEETING WITH THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE REGARDING THE DEWEY-BURDOCK IN SITU URANIUM RECOVERY PROJECT
Date: May 19, 2016
Location: Pine Ridge, South Dakota“:
“The Oglala Sioux Tribe explained that Tribal Treaties and their Tribal laws and ordinances are the law of the land. The Oglala Sioux Tribe noted that Tribal ordinances prohibit nuclear activities within Treaty lands and asked that these be taken into consideration, even if the project site is beyond the borders of the Tribe’s reservation. The Oglala Sioux Tribe, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer will provide specific citations to the ordinances regarding the prohibition of nuclear activities. The NRC noted it will consider these laws and ordinances as part of this consultation process.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe also noted its objection to both the PA and the continued effectiveness of the license in light of the ASLB ruling finding the Record of Decision for the license incomplete. The Tribe also stated that the PA would need to be revisited and strengthened based, in part, due to the inadequacies of the surveys of the Dewey-Burdock ISR project site conducted in 2013. Additionally, the Oglala Sioux Tribe noted that the process described in the PA lacks meaningful opportunities for Tribes to provide input or raise objections about the management of historic and cultural resources. The NRC clarified that, although the PA has been executed, certain activities related to the identification of historic properties, and assessment and resolution of adverse effects still need to be carried out to fully implement the PA. Accordingly, the NRC noted that revisiting the PA could be one of the avenues available to address the ASLB’s findings regarding historic and cultural resources. The Tribe requested that the NRC consider staying the effectiveness of the license until the ASLB findings can be addressed.

With respect to the survey, the Oglala Sioux Tribe noted that the tribal survey conducted in 2013 was incomplete and the survey methodology lacked scientific integrity. The Oglala Sioux Tribe asked that additional comprehensive and meaningful surveys be conducted and that other Tribes should also be involved. The NRC discussed the possibility of another survey opportunity and clarified that coordination with the licensee would be necessary to gain access to the project site….”
According to the NRC:
“Prior to the start of construction and operations, the licensee would need to obtain additional permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for disposing liquid waste through the underground injection control program and the State of South Dakota for mining activities before proceeding with construction and operation activities. In response to inquiries from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the NRC confirmed that neither NRC nor the licensee has conducted any additional activities or surveys at the site.” http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1618/ML16182A069.pdf

From the US EPA: “Dewey-Burdock Class III and Class V Injection Well Applications
The EPA Region 8 Underground Injection Control Program has received two applications from Powertech (USA) Inc. for injection well permits at the proposed Dewey Burdock uranium In-Situ Recovery (ISR) site, located in the southern Black Hills, 13 miles from Edgemont, South Dakota and 46 miles west of the western border of the Pine Ridge Reservation: a Class III injection well permit application for the injection of solution for uranium recovery and a Class V injection well permit for deep wells for the disposal of ISR process waste fluids.

The Class III permit application proposes 14 well fields, each field containing many injection and production wells. The Class V permit application proposes up to eight deep injection wells with four proposed for construction at this time.

The uranium ore bodies are contained in the Fall River and Chilson aquifers of the Inyan Kara Group, which will be the injection zones for the Class III wells. An aquifer exemption has been requested for the Inyan Kara Group. The proposed injection zones for the deep Class V wells are the Minnelusa and Deadwood Formations.
The EPA has not issued any draft (proposed) permit decisions regarding these applications and is not soliciting public comment at this time.”
https://www.epa.gov/uic/dewey-burdock-class-iii-and-class-v-injection-well-applications

Powertech was renamed Azarga but the US NRC doesn’t seem to have figured this out!

“Public Meeting Schedule: Meeting Details
Purpose
Telephonic Status Conference in the Matter of POWERTECH USA, INC. (Dewey-Burdock In Situ Uranium Recovery Facility)
Meeting Feedback
Meeting Dates and Times
11/07/16
2:00PM –
Meeting Location
Teleconference
Contact
Cooper Strickland
301-415-5880
Participation Level
Open
NRC Participants
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
External Participants
Parties to the Proceeding
Docket Numbers – Facility Names
04009075 – POWERTECH (USA) INC.
Related Documents
ML16298A331 – Order (Scheduling Telephonic Status Conference).
Comments
*Those wishing to access this status conference via teleconference (non-speaking, listen only) please email or call Cooper Strickland at Cooper.Strickland@nrc.gov or (301) 415-5880 for more information.1
http://meetings.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg?do=details&Code=20161409

Topics to be discussed

According to the ASLB judge’s order:
“During the conference, the Board would like to discuss with the parties the status of government-to-government consultations. The subjects to be discussed include, but may not be limited to:

(1) the status of development activities at the Dewey-Burdock site;
(2) the status of permitting proceedings regarding the Dewey-Burdock site pending before the State of South Dakota and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, see Powertech (USA), Inc. Request for Status Report on Petition for Review of LBP-15-16 (Mar. 28, 2016) at 2;
(3) the schedule of up-coming government-to-government consultations between the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the NRC Staff;
(4) the parties’ collective and/or independent efforts to identify cultural, religious, and historic resources of significance to the Oglala Sioux Tribe following the Board’s Partial Initial Decision;
(5) the NRC Staff’s plan to prepare a supplement to the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement regarding cultural, historic, and religious resources of significance to the Oglala Sioux Tribe; and
(6) the parties’ positions regarding the procedural course the Board should take to bring about a final resolution of Contentions 1A and 1B.

It is so ORDERED.
FOR THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD
William J. Froehlich, Chairman ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE
Rockville, Maryland October 24, 2016
/RA/
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD
Before Administrative Judges: William J. Froehlich, Chairman Dr. Mark O. Barnett G. Paul Bollwerk, III
In the Matter of POWERTECH USA, INC.
(Dewey-Burdock In Situ Uranium Recovery Facility)
Docket No. 40-9075-MLA
ASLBP No. 10-898-02-MLA-BD01
October 24, 2016
ORDER (Scheduling Telephonic Status Conference) ”
http://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/view?AccessionNumber=ML16298A331
History of the Dewey Burdock project:
http://www.wise-uranium.org/upusasd.html
Declaration of Historic Preservation Officer Oglala Sioux: http://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1418/ML14189A438.pdf

Methodist Bishop Oxnam’s opposition to the use of the Atomic Bomb and social justice concerns did not endear him to elements within the US government. He was harassed by elements within the US government and demanded a hearing before the House UnAmerican Activities (usually people were forced to go, he asked to go because he was fed up with the US government dropping disinformation about him into the press.)
“TESTIMONY OF BISHOP G. BROMLEY OXNAM HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-THIRD CONGEESS FIRST SESSION JULY 21, 1953
Printed for the use of the Committee on Un-American Activities”
https://archive.org/stream/testimonyofbisho00unit/testimonyofbisho00unit_djvu.txt
He was not the only one. Over 2000 clergymen were black-listed within the Methodist (now United Methodist) church alone!
Related Documents:

Click to access Communism-Religion-5.pdf

Click to access National_Council_of_Churches-HQ-1A_text.pdf

Emphasis added throughout post.