Silica Sand Mining in Wisconsin. Madison: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 2012. (TN939 .S55 2012) Tools to Assist Local Governments in Planning for and Regulating Silica Sand Projects. St. Paul: Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, Updated January 5, 2017. … See more
Silica sand from Minnesota and Wisconsin is in high demand from oil-and-gas industry, which uses it for hydraulic fracturing. Houston County has had a silica sand mining moratorium for about three ...
The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld Winona County's ban on the mining and processing of silica sand, which is used in the oil and gas industry for hydraulic fracturing.
In Maiden Rock, Wis., a miner drills holes in layers of rock where explosives will be placed and detonated to extract silica sand from the mine. Frac sand mining industry experts say Minnesota's ...
Earth Island Journal. Last month, I visited Wisconsin's booming silica sand mining region and saw sandstone bluffs strip-mined for sturdy quartz sand that's essential for the horizontal hydraulic fracturing process used to extract oil and gas from underground shale formations. I saw how residents there had little protection against silica dust …
The benefits of industrial silica sand mining are realized in economic terms, whereas the costs are merely theoretical, in the form of potential environmental impacts. ... Minnesota, and Wisconsin to enact moratoria on permitting new sand mines. Some of those bans are still active, while others have expired. The potential for environmental ...
Environment Minnesota Research & Policy Center fired a new salvo in the growing debate over frac sand mining, an industry poised for rapid expansion in Minnesota thanks to demand for silica sand used in the gas drilling practice known as fracking. The group today released a report documenting a wide range of dollars and …
One way to find minutes of those discussions, or ordinances, is to search a county's web site for the terms mining, silica, frac, or "industrial sand" (using quotation marks will search those words as a phrase) . In addition, some counties have formed committees, published reports, or passed ordinances about silica mining in particular. Many of ...
July 11, 2013. NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed. Earth Island Journal. Last month, I visited Wisconsin's booming silica sand mining region and saw …
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates mines in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin now account for 72 percent of the nation's frac sand production. Wisconsin …
Silica sand is a very fine sand composed of quartz (a white to colorless mineral) and is mined in the southeastern part of Minnesota. It is used to make glass, as a source of silicon, and is used in oil drilling to improve the flow of oil to oil wells. Granite and limestone are used in the construction of homes, buildings, roads and tombstones.
Silica Sand Mining in Wisconsin January 2012 . Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources . P.O. Box 7921 . Madison, WI 53707-7921 . 1 ... A conservative estimate of Wisconsin frac sand mining capacity based on existing mines, mines under construction, and processing plants would be in excess of 12 million tons per
In 2012 the frac sand industry contributed nearly $2 billion in value-added economic activity, generating $260 million in state and local tax revenues. By 2035, economic activity is expected to grow to $4.7 billion. Frac sand mining is a positive development for Minnesota and should be treated as such. Banning or overregulating …
Save the Bluffs lobbyist John Kaul says that citizens in neighbouring Wisconsin – where around 100 mines have already been permitted – have seen wells run dry. ... The industry believes that silica sand mining in Minnesota is already highly regulated, and that the state has sufficient environmental review and monitoring …
In response, MDH developed a health-based guidance value for crystalline silica in the air and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) received air quality monitoring data from silica sand facilities in Minnesota between 2012 and 2017. For more information, contact the MPCA at 651-296-6300 or 800-657-3864. Water and Silica …
Several southeastern Minnesota counties imposed temporary moratoria on silica sand mining in 2011 and 2012 to provide more time to study these issues. In Winona County, where the Nisbit mine is located, engineers say the roads are designed to handle heavy truckloads from agriculture, manufacturing, and aggregate mining—but not at the …
Mining, for metals (such as iron) and for silica sand (frac sand), has become a hot topic in Wisconsin in the last few years. This guide covers mining-related sites from Wisconsin state and county governments. A state agency, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, has the primary responsibility for environmental regulation of metallic ...
In Wisconsin, where approximately two-thirds of all U.S. frac sand production currently exists, the industry would directly support 4,900–7,100 jobs if all permitted silica sand mining sites and processing facilities become fully operational. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation estimates the current employment …
This article sets out to analyze the silica sand mining environmental regulatory schemes in Minnesota and Wisconsin to determine if this booming industry …
WISA Executive Team. WisconsinSand is the online home of the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association (WISA), an organization formed to promote safe and environmentally responsible sand mining standards, promote a fact-based discussion and create a positive dialogue among the industry, citizens and Wisconsin government …
A: Hibbing Drill Core Library: Over three million feet of mineral samples available for analysis. (One of the finest facilities of its kind in the world.) Call the Lands and Minerals Division Hibbing Office - 218-231-8484. You can also visit the DNR's Drill Core Library webpage . University of Minnesota Minnesota Geological Survey.
A unique geological history combined with existing railroad networks has positioned Wisconsin as a major supplier of "frac sand" and thus a key link in a wider hydrocarbon commodity chain. The unprecedented growth of frac sand mining, however, has raised new social and environmental concerns, becoming the target of grassroots …
for road and building construction. While sand mining has a long history, five years ago only a handful of industrial silica sand mines existed in Wisconsin, drawing little attention. Over the past two years this has changed dramatically. By July 2011, news reports estimated 41 frac sand operations active or in planning (Smathers 2011). Barely ...
the Upper Midwest, the prospect of large-scale silica sand mining has evoked fears about air and water pollution. 8 These fears have led several counties in …
A conservative estimate of Wisconsin frac sand mining capacity based on existing mines, mines under construction, and processing plants would be in excess of …
Frack "sand" is actually tiny pieces of quartz- silicon dioxide (SiO2) also known as silica sand. It is not garden variety sand found in your kids sandbox. Because it is special, it is found in only a few places. In the United States, that currently means in the Midwest near the Great Lakes. The Southeast corner of Minnesota and neighboring Wisconsin …
In March 2013, EQB issued a report on the issue of silica sand mining in Minnesota. The 2013 Minnesota Legislature passed, and Governor Mark Dayton signed legislation to …
The mining and refining of silica sand is prone to release fine particles in the air, which can quickly degrade air quality. So, the size of the Minnesota Sands project is key to environmental groups.
The demand for sand increased exponentially starting in 2014, related to use of Wisconsin sand as a proppant in the extraction of oil and gas. Wisconsin has mining, processing and transportation facilities …
Southeastern and southerly central Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin have extensive depositories of sand this meets the specifications required for hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," a drilling method used available innate gas real oil boreholes. ... Some permits allow have requirements specific up silica sand mining. Under certain ...