A full-sized limestone quarry is planned for Meade County, and residents are largely opposed to the mine. However, the county board may have its hands tied.
In attendance were dozens of landowners concerned about property values, conservationists angling for wise use of the Black Hills, and mothers of children with lung conditions. All were advocating against the mine that would blast soot into the air and displace the nature within.
Summerset resident Brandon Scott, like many attendees, rejects the NIMBY title applied to his opposition. He said he understands the point of the 300-plus acre mine, but not the location.
“This entire area has beautiful limestone," Scott said. "That’s great mining material for making roads, we need to build roads, but we also need a place to live. We chose to live in a place that is residential and right now, turning this into a commercial-industrial place completely goes against what the county has already set up for their vision.”
In 2025, tourism represents the state’s number two industry, particularly in the Black Hills. Scott said economically, the gold rush has ended.
“Our stance is a pro-growth stance," Scott said. "If you go and destroy the things that bring people to the Black Hills, people will stop coming. If we want to destroy the entrance to the Black Hills, I guess that’s on us – and that’s something we’ll have to live with.”
There is an issue for opposition though: the vast rural character of Meade County means it has no zoning policy and even less appetite for one from residents. The last attempt at establishing one over a decade ago one was trounced by eight out of ten local voters.
For County Commissioner Talbot Wieczorek, residents need to look at what zoning can do for their areas before it’s too late. With that resounding Meade County rejection in mind though, he said it needs to come from voters.
“This mine would not be going here," Wieczorek said. "The pressure out of Rapid (City) is not going to stop, industrialization is not going to stop. With where we’re at, and where the people have spoken, if you want to get zoning, I think it’s got to be a groundswell.”
The mine’s proposed location is in the Piedmont Valley area in the eastern foothills.