New gold mining plans spark concern in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Rising gold prices have renewed interest in mining in South Dakota’s Black Hills, where companies are proposing open pit and underground mines near sacred sites, according to the Associated Press. The Black Hills, sacred to the Lakota Sioux people, encompass more than 1.2 million acres and are visited by millions of tourists each year.

Dakota Gold has proposed an open pit mine that could begin operating in 2029, with company officials estimating up to 250 jobs and $400 million in state taxes over the life of the project. Tribes and environmental groups oppose new mines, citing risks of chemical spills, water contamination and damage to sacred landscapes. “Our enjoyment of the Black Hills as a peaceful place, a sacred place, is disturbed,” said Lilias Jarding, executive director of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance.