Governments and the uranium industry say the mining and milling of uranium provides high-paying and much-needed jobs in some of the most remote areas of the country, with manageable environmental risks. But it's an industry that has long attracted its share of controversy. This is a major concern for the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in western South Dakota, and other residents including environmental and conservation groups. The Sierra Club's Black Hills Group, says there's a high likelihood that aquifers will become polluted if an injection-well recovery system is used to mine the ore.
—Karla R. LaRive