Rep. Kristi Noem is trying to spin the Department of Energy’s cancellation of the Deep Borehole Field Test as evidence that her Führer is hearing the anti-nuclear concerns of South Dakotans.
I don’t think Trump hears anyone other than Jared and Steve feeding him lines and Melania telling him when she’ll let him hold her hand. But maybe I’m wrong: maybe Trump is listening to South Dakotans who don’t want to risk releasing radioactive materials into our water supply.
That’s the signal I could take from the Trump EPA’s extension of the public comment period on the Azarga/Powertech uranium mining and waste disposal permits in the southern Black Hills. The EPA planned to close public comment on May 19, but Dakota Rural Action says strong public interest has persuaded the EPA to take comments for another month:
After a massive showing of interest at recent Black Hills uranium mine hearings, the EPA announced an extension of its comment period on water permits until June 19, for the proposed reopening of activity in Custer and Fall River county underground aquifer supplies.
With more than 700 people attending, 212 testified at the hearings in Rapid City, Hot Springs and Edgemont held May 8-11 and at the hearing in Valentine, NE, on April 27. Out of all the speakers, 197 expressed opposition to the proposed in situ leach, or ISL, mine and mill [Dakota Rural Action, press release, 2017.05.26].
EPA is taking comment by mail, fax, and e-mail:
- Mail: Valois Shea, U.S. EPA Region 8, Mail Code: 8WP-SUI, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO. 80202-1129
- Fax: 303-312-6741
- Email: shea.valois@epa.gov
If Rep. Noem can praise Trump for canceling an engineering project based on citizen concerns about radiation, then she should be shouting for Trump’s attention to the Azarga uranium mining application and the vocal resistance from her anti-nuclear constituents. Of course, it’s possible that if Trump notices at all the Azarga issue, he’ll listen to Azarga, which, like Team Trump, has numerous connections to Russia and the former Soviet Union.