A state board has paused a hearing on a proposed uranium exploration project in the southern Black Hills after entering a private session to discuss legal matters according to reporting from South Dakota Search Light.
The Board of Minerals and Environment was in its third day of hearings on an application to drill for uranium near Craven Canyon when members adjourned proceedings until further notice. No timeline was given for resuming the hearing.
The pause comes as a project opponent filed a federal lawsuit against the board, the state and the company seeking the permit, alleging violations of due process.
The complaint cites concerns over language access after the state failed to provide a Lakota interpreter on the hearing’s first day, despite earlier assurances. Lakota-speaking tribes historically controlled the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation.
The lawsuit also raises concerns about a heavy law enforcement presence at the hearing.
State officials and the company proposing the project did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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