Uranium mine study focus of meeting

By Journal staff | Monday, September 25, 2006

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An informational meeting about the summer study of abandoned uranium mines and the effect on private lands surrounding the North Cave Hills will be next month in Ludlow, north of Buffalo in Harding County.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, in Ludlow Hall at Ludlow. South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is performing a study to evaluate effects on air, water and soil attributed to historical mining activities in the North Cave Hills region of Custer National Forest.

Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency's Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act program and administered by the U.S. Forest Service, the initial study's focus will determine the extent of environmental effects on private land surrounding the North Cave Hills land unit.

The study is being conducted by James Stone and Larry Stetler of Tech and Albrecht Schwalm of Oglala Lakota College. At the meeting, initial results from the field studies will include:

- Summary of sampling and analysis methods used

- Overview of soil, sediment and surface/ground water results

- Air quality and wind tunnel studies results

- Tech and OLC students and K-12 science teachers educational research opportunities

- Future studies planned for the South Cave Hills and Slim Buttes land units.

The North Cave Hills study will be completed by the end of this year. For more information about this study, go to www.cavehills.org or contact: Laurie Walters-Clark, Sioux Ranger District, P.O. Box 32, Camp Crook, S.D. 57724, call 797-4432, or e-mail lwaltersclark@fs.fed.us.