Powertech (USA), Inc.is proposing to construct an uranium in situ leach mine and processing facility, located about 13 miles northwest of Edgemont, SD. The legal location of the proposed exploration operation is portions of section 20, 21, and 27-35; T6S-R1E, Custer County and portions of sections 1-5, 10-12, 14 and 15; T7S-R1E, Fall River County.
Powertech submitted a Ground Water Discharge Plan Application on March 9, 2012 for the land application of treated wastewater. The Ground Water Discharge Plan is one of several state and federal permits required before this proposed in situ leach mine may begin operation in South Dakota. The purpose of this Plan is to ensure the protection of ground water resources by closely monitoring and evaluating surface discharges to ground water from the land application of treated wastewater, and establishing a groundwater protection plan and in the event of plan exceedances possible remediation requirements.
For more information on the Ground Water Discharge permitting process, please visit the Ground Water Discharge Permit web page.
The Department has a two stage review process for Ground Water Discharge Plans, consisting of a completeness review and a technical review. The Department has determined the Ground Water Discharge Plan application to be procedurally complete on May 1, 2012.
The Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is recommending conditional approval of the Ground Water Discharge Plan. Conditions of the Ground Water Discharge Plan consist of land application effluent requirements, effluent, soil, stream and ground water monitoring and reporting requirements, application rate requirements, runoff prevention, contingency plan requirements, and technical revision authorization.
Recommended Conditions (1 MB pdf)
The public notice of recommendation period closed on January 18, 2013. Petitions to initiate a contested case hearing were received and a hearing before the Water Management Board has been scheduled (see Consolidated Contested Case section below).
Petitions received and postmarked prior to the closing date (32 MB pdf)
Petitions received and postmarked after to the closing date (1 MB pdf)
Consolidated Contested Case
On February 8, 2013, Everett Hoyt, acting as prehearing chairman on behalf of the state Water Management Board, ruled thatWater Right Permit Applications (Nos. 2685-2 and 2686-2) and the Ground Water Discharge Plan Application (GWD 1-13) be consolidated for purposes of conducting a contested case hearing on the applications.
Consolidated Contested Case Information
Consolidated Case Webpage -- includes documents pertaining to the contested case hearing for the water right permit applications and ground water discharge plan application.
Hearing Dates: December 9, 2013 hearing POSTPONED until: TBD Due to a record snowstorm in the Rapid City/Black Hills area, the hearing from Oct. 7-11, 2013 has been postponed.
The Water Management Board will now hear evidence beginning Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, then recess, and is scheduled to reconvene and conclude during week of Dec. 9, 2013. Hearing will start at 8:30 am MT.
Hearing Location: Best Western Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center, 2111 N LaCrosse Street, Rapid City SD.
Please note that only parties of record may actively participate in the contested case evidentiary hearing.
Ground Water Quality Program |
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Powertech (USA), Inc. - Ground Water Permits |
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Powertech (USA), Inc.is proposing to construct an uranium in situ leach mine and processing facility, located about 13 miles northwest of Edgemont, SD. The legal location of the proposed exploration operation is portions of section 20, 21, and 27-35; T6S-R1E, Custer County and portions of sections 1-5, 10-12, 14 and 15; T7S-R1E, Fall River County. Powertech submitted a Ground Water Discharge Plan Application on March 9, 2012 for the land application of treated wastewater. The Ground Water Discharge Plan is one of several state and federal permits required before this proposed in situ leach mine may begin operation in South Dakota. The purpose of this Plan is to ensure the protection of ground water resources by closely monitoring and evaluating surface discharges to ground water from the land application of treated wastewater, and establishing a groundwater protection plan and in the event of plan exceedances possible remediation requirements.
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1- Powertech Ground Water Discharge Plan Status |
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The Department has a two stage review process for Ground Water Discharge Plans, consisting of a completeness review and a technical review. The Department has determined the Ground Water Discharge Plan application to be procedurally complete on May 1, 2012.
The Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is recommending conditional approval of the Ground Water Discharge Plan. Conditions of the Ground Water Discharge Plan consist of land application effluent requirements, effluent, soil, stream and ground water monitoring and reporting requirements, application rate requirements, runoff prevention, contingency plan requirements, and technical revision authorization.
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The public notice of recommendation period closed on January 18, 2013. Petitions to initiate a contested case hearing were received and a hearing before the Water Management Board has been scheduled (see Consolidated Contested Case section below). |
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Petitions received and postmarked prior to the closing date (32 MB pdf) |
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| Petitions received and postmarked after to the closing date (1 MB pdf) | |
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Consolidated Contested Case On February 8, 2013, Everett Hoyt, acting as prehearing chairman on behalf of the state Water Management Board, ruled that Water Right Permit Applications (Nos. 2685-2 and 2686-2) and the Ground Water Discharge Plan Application (GWD 1-13) be consolidated for purposes of conducting a contested case hearing on the applications. |
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| Consolidated Contested Case Information | |
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2-Ground Water Discharge Plan Application |
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| During the completeness and technical reviews, portions of the application may be added to, removed or revised without notice. Any changes to the application will be posted as supplemental information at the bottom of this section. Please continue to check this section to ensure you have the most recent revisions. | |
March 9, 2012 |
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Appendices: |
March 9, 2012 |
Plates: |
March 9, 2012 |
| Supplemental Application Information/Replacement Pages: | |
April 16, 2012 |
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April 16, 2012 |
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April16, 2012 |
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| Change Index ( 1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
June 18, 2012 |
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| Plate 3.6-5 SectionA-A (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Plate 3.6-6 SectionB-B (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Plate 3.6-7 SectionC-C (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Plate 3.6-8 SectionD-D (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Plate 3.6-9 SectionE-E (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Appendix 3.7-A Well Inventory Summary Tables (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Appendix 3.7-B Well Inventory (50 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| p 4.2-A-2 App 4.2-A TOC (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| p 5.7-A-102-133 App 5.7-A monthly runoff water balances (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Change Index ( 1 MB pdf) | July 3, 2012 |
| July Replacement Pages (1 MB pdf) | July 3, 2012 |
July 3, 2012 |
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| Plate 5.4-1 Conceptual Dewey Catchment Area Design (1 MB pdf) | July 3, 2012 |
| Plate 5.4-2 Conceptual Burdock Catchment Area Design (1 MB pdf) | July 3, 2012 |
July 3, 2012 |
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July 18, 2012 |
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| Change Index ( 1 MB pdf) | August 10, 2012 |
August 10, 2012 |
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November 21, 2012 |
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| Attachment B_Well Completion Report (18 MB pdf) | November 21, 2012 |
| Change Index and Replacement Pages (3 MB pdf) | November 21, 2012 |
| Monitoring and Well Log Reports: | |
| AET Well Completion Report (35 MB pdf) | July 18, 2012 |
September 6, 2012 |
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October 22, 2012 |
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October 22, 2012 |
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| October 26, 2012 | |
3-DENR Correspondence |
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August 11, 2010 |
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April 5, 2012 |
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May 1, 2012 |
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| May 25, 2012 | |
| Powertech’s request to suspend sampling (1 MB pdf) | December 3, 2014 |
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4-Powertech Correspondence |
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April 20, 2010 |
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March 9, 2012 |
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April 16, 2012 |
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| Powertech Technical Comment Responses (1 MB pdf) | June 18, 2012 |
| Powertech Technical Comment Responses (1 MB pdf) | July 3, 2012 |
| August 22, 2012 | |
| August 22, 2012 | |
| October 18, 2012 | |
| November 21, 2012 | |
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5-Ongoing Ground Water Monitoring Results |
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In addition to the ground water monitoring results submitted with the application, Powertech is continuing to collect ground water samples from the compliance point wells. Analytical results of these samples will be posted below as they are received by DENR. |
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| October 2012 Split (1 MB pdf) | December 6, 2012 |
| Monitoring Results Through December 2012 (6 MB pdf) | February 7, 2012 |
May 16, 2013 |
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| May 9, 2013 | |
| June 2013 Radon Split Energy | |
| June 13, 2013 | |
| August 22, 2013 | |
| September 13, 2013 | |
| Monitoring results from September 2013 to September 2014 | November 17, 2014 |
| and request to suspend sampling (33 MB pdf)
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