Oglala Sioux Tribe loses court battle over uranium mine

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court has denied the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s request for a review of a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission decision to grant a license for a potential uranium mine in southwestern South Dakota.

The tribe says it was not properly consulted on the potential impact to cultural resources.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission complied with federal law when it granted Powertech, Inc. a license to mine uranium at a 10,000-acre site near Edgemont, South Dakota.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe has mounted a years-long effort to halt the project. It argues that the mine would endanger tribal cultural and environmental resources.

August 10, 2022