South Dakota Public Broadcasting

Gold Mine Proposed Near Spearfish Canyon Rim.

Air Date: 08/17/2012

Newsroom

The Northern Black Hills is seeing the opening salvo in a dispute over a new gold mine proposed for the rim of Spearfish Canyon. Local mining company owners insist the Deadwood Standard mine planned above the town of Savoy can be done without harming the environment. But a group of Spearfish Canyon residents and others oppose the idea. South Dakota Public Broadcasting's Charles Michael Ray reports that the Lawrence County Commission is among the first government bodies to consider the proposal.

Mark Nelson is a geologist and partner in the Deadwood Standard Project. Nelson says new technologies can insure this gold won't harm the environment. He says 70-percent of the investors in the mine are local.

"And we care very much about Spearfish Canyon and we would not be involved in this project if we weren't confident this project can be done in a very environmental responsible way," says Nelson.

But others like Gene Shaw President of the Spearfish Canyon Owners Association say that surface gold mines have a dismal record when it comes to environmental safety. Shaw says the potential long term negatives far outweigh the short term economic gain.

"We feel the pollution problem that could occur here could be catastrophic to Spearfish Canyon to the water supply and to the treasure that we have here," says Shaw

If the Lawrence County Commission approves a conditional use permit for the new mine-it will then require a mining permit from the state.

The Lawrence County Commission is meeting Tuesday, 8/21/12 in Spearfish to vote on the proposed Deadwood Standard Project.

The Lawrence County Commission's meeting agenda is here.