{"id":4181,"date":"2012-10-29T08:25:38","date_gmt":"2012-10-29T13:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traun-photo.com\/dan\/?p=4181"},"modified":"2014-11-17T08:37:53","modified_gmt":"2014-11-17T13:37:53","slug":"the-cost-of-an-unsightly-landscape-companion-wi-driftless-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/traun-photo.com\/dan\/the-cost-of-an-unsightly-landscape-companion-wi-driftless-area\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cost Of An Unsightly Landscape Companion | WI Driftless Area"},"content":{"rendered":"

The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life\u00a0which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/em>~Henery David Thoreau<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Cyndie and I originally went to Eau Clarie County<\/a>, WI (near Augusta)\u00a0to\u00a0back road\u00a0Amish Country. \u00a0We found it wonderfully picturesque and relaxing; driving around that part of Wisconsin is absolutely great. \u00a0Then\u2026BAMB; there it was.\u00a0 It was 1\/2 mile or better in the one direction and likely twice that or more\u00a0in the other direction from where we\u00a0sat in the car on a gravel country road.\u00a0\u00a0Right smack dab in the middle of Amish farmsteads among the rolling hills\u00a0was an enormous conveyor belt, an unsightly landscape companion in an otherwise beautiful Amish Country.<\/p>\n

Frac sand conveyor belt \u2013 from mine to rail
\n\"augusta-amish-sand-077\"<\/a>__<\/span>\"augusta-amish-sand-078\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"mapinside2\"We had never seen one like this. \u00a0It\u00a0took some\u00a0examining\u00a0to conclude its purpose initially.\u00a0 It became clear as we followed it to the one end where the sand was being extracted.\u00a0 I read somewhere that a<\/p>\n

conveyor was constructed to protect the Amish on these\u00a0rural\u00a0roads from big truck traffic. \u00a0Could there have been another reason for the conveyor? \u00a0I would think that not\u00a0having\u00a0to pay truck drivers to move the sand from the mine to the processing plant directly adjacent to the rail line would be a huge savings of wages and\u00a0benefits.\u00a0 These mining\u00a0operations\u00a0do not always create jobs as they claim.<\/p>\n

Sand mining in Wisconsin,\u00a0the \u201cSand Rush\u201d as it is being referred to by many, has many residents of this beautiful state concerned.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to look too far to see what all the fuss is about.\u00a0 The Augusta community is one of several in Wisconsin experiencing this boom.<\/p>\n

The recent boom in hydrofracking for natural gas and oil has resulted in a little-reported side boom\u2014a sand-rush in western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota, where we just happen to have the nation\u2019s richest, most accessible supply of the high-quality silica sand required for fracking operations. Unfortunately, most of that silica sand lies beneath our beautiful wooded hills and fertile farmland, and within agricultural and residential communities, all of which are now being ripped apart by sand mines interests eager to get at the riches below. This open-pit mining is, in many respects, similar to the mountaintop removal going on in Appalachian coal country\u2014except that here, it\u2019s hilltop and farm field removal. The net effect on our landscape, natural resources and communities is quickly becoming devastating.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the past few months, the sand rush has come to my own rural neighborhood in Dunn County, Wisconsin, which is about an hour east of St. Paul, Minnesota. Like many residents in Dunn County, I\u2019m concerned about the speed and intensity with which frac-sand mining interests are moving into our area. The proposals and applications for mines and related infrastructure are coming in so fast (our region has seen dozens just in the past few months), most small towns have been totally overwhelmed. Organizations trying to map and report all the activity literally cannot keep up with the incoming data.
\n<\/strong>~Pilar Gerasimo, EcoWatch<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think the last point that Pilar touched on is very disappointing, but not surprising.\u00a0 Big corporations want to get in, get established and make millions before anyone has the time to figure out what the future may hold.\u00a0\u00a0With this vast expansion of mines \u2013 at one point is the market going to become saturated and the industry no long as lucrative?\u00a0 \u00a0Even when county boards establish a county-wide moratorium on mine development, local town boards go ahead with exemptions in some cases.\u00a0 These mining companies are throwing a lot of money around in these mostly small rural communities.\u00a0 The land for the\u00a0mine\u00a0just South of August was purchased for $13.5 million.\u00a0 An Amish farmer had this to say \u2013 \u201cIt would be hard to stay a good Christian with that much money.\u201d\u00a0 I suspect he is right.\u00a0 In addition to the land, Hi-Crush has spent an additional $34.5 million on equipment, bringing the\u00a0total cost of\u00a0that mine and processing facility to $48 million.<\/p>\n

If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we\u2019d\u00a0 all be millionaires.<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n~Abigail\u00a0 Van Buren<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some Amish express their concerns while others say little as\u00a0is their way.\u00a0\u00a0In some cases, though, it really doesn\u2019t seem to make a difference\u00a0how much people voice their concern as the\u00a0town boards have\u00a0just passed things along.\u00a0 If the land owner that stands to make a ton of money is related to someone on the zoning board \u2013 what\u2019s the big deal?\u00a0 What sense does this make?\u00a0\u00a0Is\u00a0someone\u00a0getting paid off?\u00a0 Are the Amish waiting for their turn to be paid?\u00a0 Of the 24 homes within a half mile of the Augusta mine, 19 are Amish.\u00a0 I would imagine that if the mine wanted to expand, the Amish would stand to make a significant amount of money.\u00a0 Are they simply sitting quiet waiting?<\/p>\n

\"payoff\"<\/a>This isn\u2019t the only Amish community in close proximity to frac\u00a0sand mining. Not all areas have went against the moratorium\u00a0though, despite the seminar in Colorado for a frac sand industry trade show called\u00a0\u201cMoratoria Madness: A Look at Wisconsin\u2019s Regulatory Climate.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0This appears to be a guide of sorts for mining companies on how to deal with local\u00a0communities\u00a0and get them on-board with their way of thinking.\u00a0 Cut the local school district a big fat check to gain favor with the town folk.\u00a0 Interesting.\u00a0 Host a job fair and have an open house and give away t-shirts are other suggestions.\u00a0 Why\u00a0do they have to push all of this through so quickly? \u00a0They know sand mining is hard on the environment and potentially puts lives at risk, however, it is boom-time for this sand.\u00a0 The oil and natural gas fields are hungry for it.\u00a0 Why else would they have to resort to\u00a0less-than-honorable\u00a0endeavors\u00a0to get things done? Perhaps I have missed something here, but this all seems rather hurried and ridiculous.\u00a0 I can\u2019t necessarily claim that all of these mining companies are out for a quick buck; maybe some care, but it doesn’t really seem\u00a0evident\u00a0in anything that I have read or seen all Spring and Summer long \u2013 I have been looking.<\/p>\n

Mines are required to file\u00a0reclamation\u00a0plans \u2013 the what, when and how they will restore the land when they are done mining.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t seen one that said they would put the hills back.\u00a0 They will be gone.\u00a0 Should they have to put the hills back?\u00a0 As the land owners, isn\u2019t it their right to forever change the lay of their land if they wish?<\/p>\n

I understand that the demand is now\u00a0\u2013 hence the urgency, but I don\u2019t think that negates the very valid concerns of many that are so readily dismissed.\u00a0 The water used in the sand processing is\u00a0unbelievable\u00a0\u00a0 Mines employ high-capacity wells to process\/wash sand. \u00a0The sand mine not far from where I live uses the same amount of water that the entire city I live in does in a day (pop 16,459). \u00a0I believe the figure I read was approximately 1 million gallons. \u00a0That seems like an\u00a0awful\u00a0lot of water\u2026per day. \u00a0The use of chemicals in this process is troubling as well. \u00a0I think all of the concern warrants a detailed look at what is possible before something very wrong and\u00a0irreversible\u00a0is done.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard people argue that gravel mining is no different that\u00a0mining silaca\u00a0sand.\u00a0 There is a big difference; it\u2019s called\u00a0partial size.\u00a0 These mines are not always able to extract an optimal size; some plants employ a crusher.\u00a0 The crushing processes produces this dangerous dust as does handling and transporting it \u2013 by truck or conveyor.<\/p>\n

SILICA SAND GRAINS are made up of crystalline silica particles. When silica sand grains are broken (fractured) from blasting, abrasion, or crushing, tiny particles of crystalline silica \u201cdust\u201d are produced.\u00a0 Some of these particles are so small they can\u2019t be seen with the naked eye,\u00a0 so light-weight\u00a0 they can stay in the air for a long time and can travel long distances. The technical term for these very small particles is\u2026\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

RESPIRABLE\u00a0CRYSTALLINE SILICA. These very tiny, sharp silica particles are small enough to be breathed deep into our lungs.\u00a0 Once they settle in the lungs, they never dissolve and never leave. Some people call Respirable Crystalline Silica \u201cSilica Dust\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that Respirable\u00a0Crystalline Silica is a Carcinogen, or cancer causing substance.\u00a0 Prolonged or repeated exposure to fine\u00a0airborne crystalline silica dust may cause severe scarring of the lungs, a disease called silicosis.\u00a0 Silicosis can develop quickly or over many years, depending upon the amount of silica a person breathes and for how long.<\/strong><\/p>\n

~www.ccc-wis.com<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Kbb-underwing\"And if there isn’t enough to consider already with health and ground water concerns \u2013 there is an endangered butterfly in harm\u2019s way. \u00a0The Karner\u00a0blue butterfly\u2019s range occupies much of the same area sand does. \u00a0This butterfly lives much of its life on wild lupine.<\/p>\n

Described in 1944 by the writer and butterfly expert Vladmir\u00a0Nabokov, the Karner blue was once abundant from Maine to Minnesota. But its population diminished from tens of thousands to hundreds as its habitat disappeared.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The federal government declared the Karner\u00a0blue an endangered species in 1992 because much of its habitat is gone \u2014 except in Wisconsin. Here, lupines are plentiful. A \u201chigh probability range\u201d of area deemed at least 50 percent likely to have Karners\u00a0covers 1.9 million acres and includes parts of 19 counties. \u00a0And to kill a Karner\u00a0blue without a permit violates federal law. \u00a0Mining companies can apply for a permit from the Department of Natural Resources to\u00a0legally\u00a0destroy Karner blues in its operations. \u00a0Huh?<\/p>\n

The push-back on halting development and taking a serious look at this is the prospect of jobs.\u00a0 These sand mining companies roll into town, buy up land and invests millions of dollars.\u00a0 One area in particular, Barron County, WI, had 11 percent unemployment at one point during the recession\u00a0\u00a0 But Since 2010, sand mining companies are making this predominantly rural county\u2019s economic outlook a bit better.\u00a0 The boom is still too new to calculate the number of jobs gained.\u00a0 On average, a typical mine may employee 10-20 people, while 40-50 people work at a typical procession plant.\u00a0 These numbers obviously vary depending on the makeup of the operation (conveyor belts vs. trucks to haul sand).<\/p>\n

\"frac-sand-barn\"<\/a>I certainly don\u2019t claim to have any answers to all of these issues. \u00a0I just know that there are things going on that do not seem right.\u00a0 This is happening all over Western\u00a0Wisconsin and it has hit my front door as well here in Red Wing, Minnesota<\/a>. \u00a0The City of Red Wing had a moratorium on the industry, but it expired yesterday (Oct. 28) and can\u2019t be renewed.\u00a0 The newly adopted,\u00a0\u00a0Ordinance No. 39, Fourth Series, ordinance\u00a0amending chapter 11 of the zoning land use regulations,\u00a0establishes an Open Space Preservation district effectively\u00a0prohibits\u00a0resource extraction land use\u00a0within the City of Red Wing.\u00a0 I need to review this document further, but it appears the city is all over preventing mining in the area.\u00a0 I am not clear where Goodhue County is as whole on this issue, so I will have to continue researching.\u00a0 I believe the perspective area\u00a0is along Hill Valley Road in Hay Creek Township.<\/p>\n

One company that would like to start is Windsor Energy Resources Inc., based in Oklahoma City, which is exploring for oil in the Permian Basin of west Texas. Its Windsor Permian subsidiary last year paid $2.6 million for 155 acres of woods, cornfields and bluffs two miles south of Red Wing near a small housing development and a protected trout stream in hopes of mining it for silica sand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re disappointed that the county board decided to impose a moratorium but we intend to comply with all the regulations that exist in Goodhue County for the future work that we do,\u201d Chip Krohn, a geologist with the company, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He said the company believes the county\u2019s existing regulations are \u201cmore than sufficient\u201d for the board to decide whether to approve or reject permits.<\/p>\n

~CBS Minnesota<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Diamond Bluff (Wisconsin) community just\u00a0across\u00a0the river from Red Wing has about lost their battle as far as I can tell. \u00a0All of these concerned people cannot be wrong. \u00a0I really think this sand business needs to slow down. \u00a0I won\u2019t leave you with much wonder as to which side I am on in all this.\u00a0 I am very much against this industry and using this sand for frac\u00a0mining for oil and natural gas.\u00a0 There has to be a different away.\u00a0 I know the countryside doesn’t\u00a0exist\u00a0solely for my photographic and viewing enjoyment either, but I am used to it and would like to see it remain intact \u2013 as would countless others.\u00a0 If you are concerned about frac\u00a0sand mining and it is being proposed or is happening already in your area \u2013 get involved\u00a0and speak up!\u00a0 A small few and their pursuit for quick money should not just run all over so many concerns.<\/p>\n

It is hard to contend against one\u2019s heart\u2019s desire; for\u00a0 whatever it wishes to have it buys at the cost of soul.<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n~Heraclitus<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is easy to sit back and\u00a0expect\u00a0that land owners do not sell out to these mining companies.\u00a0 I imaging it is\u00a0very different being the land owner faced with the question of farming another 10 years or selling out and retiring.\u00a0 I must admit, the money would be very attractive.\u00a0 The thing is,\u00a0if you don\u2019t sell, your neighbor\u00a0may and then there you will sit.\u00a0 You may be unable to sell your land later on\u00a0after the mining is done.\u00a0 There is no single and\/or easy answer here that works for everyone.\u00a0 There are some though that have rejected these mining companies and I say good for them, but I cannot fault those that take the money either.\u00a0 If you are faced with providing for your family, would you not do so?\u00a0 I think we all would; especially in this economy.<\/p>\n

Are we willing to pay a higher price for gas to save our hills,\u00a0\u00a0bluffs and generally beautiful countryside?\u00a0 Everything in life has a cost and that is what I am talking about here and what everyone\u00a0has to consider.\u00a0 What are you willing to pay?<\/p>\n

**If you are not\u00a0familiar\u00a0with what hydraulic fracturing\u00a0or \u201cfracking\u201d is or how the silica sand is used, please see these links. \u00a0See how many buzz words you can identify and how they over-emphatic\u00a0how safe and clean these practices are.<\/p>\n