A long-disputed uranium project near Edgemont has cleared another federal step, with the Bureau of Land Management approving initial infrastructure work on the portion of the site it manages, even as the mine itself still lacks permission to begin operating.
The approval allows Powertech, a subsidiary of Texas-based enCore Energy, to build what the agency described as "ancillary infrastructure" for the Dewey-Burdock project. According to the bureau’s press release, that work includes access roads, four groundwater monitoring wells and overhead power lines on public land within the broader project area.
The Dewey-Burdock proposal, on the edge of the Black Hills in southwest South Dakota, has been under consideration for nearly two decades and still needs additional permits. The Trump administration selected the project last year for the expedited permitting process known as FAST-41.
About 240 acres of the site, or roughly a third of a square mile, are on land overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The full project area spans 10,580 acres, or about 16.5 square miles.
"The Dewey-Burdock Project still requires several additional approvals from other federal and state agencies, including a license renewal currently under review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission", said a bureau spokesperson.
In April, the bureau released a draft environmental assessment and accepted public comments through May 15. Over that period, the agency said it received 764 submissions, "including comments related to groundwater, cultural resources, tribal concerns, environmental justice, and compliance with federal laws."
The bureau also published its final environmental assessment and a finding of no significant impact. If the project secures all remaining permits, the agency estimates it could start within the next five years. The assessment says infrastructure would remain at the site for 20 years after implementation of the project, which it describes as the mine’s lifespan.
EnCore Energy did not immediately provide a response to questions from South Dakota Searchlight.
Opponents of the project said the federal review did not sufficiently address groundwater and cultural resource concerns.
"The process was rushed. It’s only been a few weeks between the end of the comment period and this decision coming out in its final form", Jarding said. "The Bureau of Land Management was being, what I would consider, irresponsible in this situation."
Lilias Jarding, executive director of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, said the final environmental assessment was vague about possible groundwater pollution and impacts on cultural resources, including Native American historic sites in the area.
EnCore Energy plans to use in-situ mining, a method that relies on wells rather than open pits or tunnels. The process involves injecting a water-based solution underground to dissolve uranium and then pumping it to the surface. Water would be drawn from local aquifers, treated after use and pumped back underground. Opponents have said they fear pollution of local groundwater sources.
"I don’t think the company understands the depth of public opinion against uranium projects in the Black Hills", Jarding said.
The Black Hills Clean Water Alliance and other opponents are also challenging a separate uranium exploratory drilling proposal in the southern Black Hills from Clean Nuclear Energy Corp. and its Canada-based parent company Nexus Uranium.
That exploration permit remains before the state Board of Minerals and Environment. A hearing on the application was paused last month after an opponent filed a federal lawsuit against the board, the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Clean Nuclear Energy Corp. The lawsuit is still pending, and no date has been set to resume the permit hearing.
