PIEDMONT, S.D. – A trio of West River lawmakers want to tighten lax state mining laws that allow sand, gravel and limestone mines to be built without a state or local permitting process.
The three legislators – Rep. Kathy Rice, Rep. Terri Jorgenson and Sen. John Carley– are responding to the outrage among residents of the Meade County city of Piedmont, who found out through a newspaper notification in October that a limestone mine was coming to their community. The plan by Simon Contractors of Wyoming was approved by the state without notification or input of local officials and residents.
The 300-acre limestone mine that would operate in and around the city of Piedmont until 2043 was approved through a state sand and gravel licensing system that – unlike permitting for more invasive hard rock mineral mines – does not require environmental studies, a state permit, public meetings or official notification. Instead, soft mineral mines like the proposed Piedmont mine require only a state license that allows a company to mine anywhere it owns land or has landowner permission.
The three Republicans from Meade County say they may file bills in the 2026 legislative session that would require environmental impact statements for all mines, increase local notification requirements and strengthen other state mining regulations. Local officials also may push for zoning in Meade County, which has no zoning ordinances at this point.
Meanwhile, local officials and residents are responding to the mine proposal with community meetings, including one on Nov. 20 that drew more than 250 people. They also have a Facebook page that received 700,000 page views in its first month, and they have hired Nick Moser (MO-zure) a Yankton attorney who helped fight the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.
