What Hydraulic Fracturing Means to Wisconsin and the Kickapoo Valley
Update, February 6, 2012: An article in this week’s La Crosse Tribune reveals that some frac sand mining companies have neglected to comply with DNR endangered species regulations. Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism’s Kate Golden reported that frac sand mines are often located in prime habitat for the state’s endangered Karner blue butterfly. While the Wisconsin DNR has hired more staff to deal with the increased permitting required by this fast-moving industry, not all frac sand mining companies are knowledgeable about or compliant with regulations.
An excerpt from the article:
While the state Department of Transportation has been studying the effects of transporting all the sand on the state’s roads and rail lines, the DNR has devoted more staff to permits and enforcement. Two staffers are working just on frac sand air pollution permits, two more jobs have been devoted to enforcement, and since September, staffer Tom Woletz’s entire job has been coordinating frac sand permits.
As of mid-January, the DNR had counted about 60 mines, 32 plants either operating or being built, and 20 more proposed mines — more than double the 41 mines or plants the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism counted in mid-July. The agency conservatively estimated the state’s capacity at more than 12 million tons of sand a year.
Woletz said the agency can’t say exactly how many companies are out there and what their status is. They have no centralized industry organization, and they are “very competitive and very secretive” when buying land, he said.
Overall, Woletz said, the industry is “fairly well funded and they are receptive to doing what they need to do as far as permitting and compliance. But they want their permits at business speed,” — that is, “tomorrow.”
Also related to area frac sand mining, WDRT 91.9FM reporter Lila Marmel recently spoke with two Vernon County conservationists about how it might affect Kickapoo valley residents. Listen to this excellent, informative interview here (MP3 file).
What risk does Wisconsin face with hydraulic fracturing?
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process of blasting a slurry of water, chemicals and sand into shale rock formations to release the natural gas deposits found below. The sand helps hold the fractures open. As fracking gains popularity, demand for high-quality sand is soaring.
Some of the most desirable fracking (or “frac”) sand comes from Wisconsin bluff country. Here the sand is made of strong quartz, and grains are rounded, like marbles, and do not compact. Being above the water table, the sand is also easily accessible. Mining operations can simply burrow into the bluffs or scrape the sand from open pit mines. Furthermore, there is an abundant supply of this sand in Wisconsin.
Graphic courtesy of The Wisconsin State Journal
A recent Wisconsin State Journal article indicated that since 2010 over 30 frac sand mines or processing facilities have opened in the western part of the state and 20 more are currently proposed. In total, the state has about 60 frac sand mining operations of various sizes. Unlike gravel pits, frac sand mines can span hundreds of acres.
Most important to Wisconsin, questions have been raised about the impact of sand mines on air quality and public health. At the Maiden Rock sand mine 45 miles from Eau Claire sand is extracted by drilling holes into the sandstone wall, setting off explosives, waiting for the sand to clear, and then scooping the sand with front-end loaders. While there is an industry standard for worker exposure to silica dust, a substance known to cause adverse health effects, including cancer, there is no safe standard set for exposure for the general public. The WI DNR has stated that not enough data exists to determine the effects on public health and more information would take more staff and money than is currently available.
Other concerns include the negative impact on property values for homeowners close to sand mining as well as the need for road upgrades and provisions for land reclamation.
How could frac sand mining affect the Kickapoo valley?
Photo of a frac sand mine courtesy of Save the Trinity
Although the sand most desirable for fracking exists in the Kickapoo valley, it’s not easily accessible everywhere in the region. The source of this sand, upper Cambrian sandstone, is exposed only where the rivers have cut through the upper layers of rock. That means the sand would have to be mined near—or even in—the Kickapoo River and its tributaries.
Frac sand mines in other states, such as Arkansas and Texas, have already discharged processed water (sludge) into creeks and set up polluted sediment ponds near the rivers. In addition, operations this close to waterways increase erosion. The toll on habitat and wildlife is only beginning to be felt.
How might pending state legislation affect frac sand mining?
Wisconsin’s legislature is currently considering two bills that relate to frac sand mining and could affect the Kickapoo valley’s clean water.
Special Session Bill 24 (also known as the “Polluters over People” bill)
According to the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters: Bill 24 will sell out our natural resources statewide – not just to mining companies, but also to power plants, developers, and other polluters.
This destructive bill is a grab bag of bad policy:
- Cuts the public out of decisions that impact our waterways;
- Guts Wisconsin’s water quality protections;
- Threatens water quantity in Wisconsin’s lakes, streams, and wells;
- Undermines Wisconsin’s clean air protections;
- Serves as a backdoor attempt to weaken Wisconsin’s mining laws.
In a nutshell – This bill puts polluters over people. Take Action Now! This bill is being fast tracked through the legislature and we may have just days to stop it!
Assembly Mining Bill LRB 3520
The Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy, and Small Business released a new bill regarding iron mining permitting. With very few exceptions, the bill makes the same attacks on environmental protection of wetlands, groundwater, and navigable waters AND diminishes the opportunity for public input. Sadly, LRB 3520 removes all obstacles to mining companies in the permitting process, even if those obstacles are in place to ensure that there is abundant, clean water and an ongoing protection of local citizens’ and municipalities’ rights to stop efforts that will have a lasting negative impact on local communities.
While written at the behest of an out-of-state mining company proposing a strip mine of unprecedented size, this is by no means just a Northern Wisconsin issue. Sweeping changes outlined in the bill will apply to iron mines throughout the state. Just as the recent boom in sand mines has taken communities by surprise, the price jumps in metals including iron could result in multiple applications for mines in the near future.
An analysis of LRB 3520 from the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is available here and from the Wisconsin Legislative Council is available here.
What’s wrong with hydraulic fracturing?
As the U.S. seeks to increase its reliance on domestic energy sources, demand for natural gas has soared. In 2009 about 14% of natural gas came from shale; by 2035 it is projected this will rise to 46%. Of all the nation’s natural gas wells, 90% rely on hydraulic fracking. Some in the energy industry tout natural gas as clean energy. A closer look at hydraulic fracking proves that’s not the case.
Graphic courtesy of Al Granberg at ProPublica
Simply stated, there are concerns that fracking fluid contaminates aquifers, creates polluted wastewater that must be contained, consumes vast amounts of formerly clean water (which, because of its contamination, can never be re-used), and contributes to seismic activity. Oversight is also a question.
Citizen groups concerned about clean water and quality of life have challenged hydraulic fracturing practices and forced government agencies and municipalities to take a closer look. The Environmental Protection Agency recently linked drilling techniques to chemicals in drinking water in Wyoming. The State of Colorado will decide this week whether to require energy companies to publicly disclose the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. It’s important to note that this EPA finding comes with a caution that the report is linked to a particular field in Wyoming where gas wells were drilled close to water wells and at a relatively shallow depth much closer to an underground aquifer. This is but one of many current challenges to the range of concerns.
What can be done to prevent or limit frac sand mining?
According to the December 11, 2011 article in the Wisconsin State Journal, “counties and towns on the soundest footing are those with zoning laws that require companies to take steps such as controlling dust, paying for repair of roads, limiting operating hours and light and noise effects, and preventing mining too close to residential areas.”
Towns without zoning, or without zoning power, face limited options. A novel approach taken by the unzoned town of Howard was to use its licensing power to propose a developers’ agreement including a blasting permit requirement and property value guarantees. Unzoned towns will need a blasting ordinance.
Some counties have enacted moratoriums on new mining operations to consider regulations for development.
Concerned citizens can also voice their opinions about the water quality and mining bills being considered by Wisconsin’s legislature right now.
Want to learn more about Wisconsin’s frac sand mining?
The Wisconsin Towns association and the Farmers Union, led by Westby farmer Darin Von Ruden, is planning a frac sand mine seminar January 12, 2012 at the Plaza Hotel in Eau Claire, a repeat of a seminar held December 1.
Learn more about the conference and follow related media links at The Wisconsin Farmers Union Web site. Coverage of the December 1 seminar can be found here.
Two quotes from the December seminar are notable –
State Senator Terry Moulton says he believes the state should limit its involvement. He is encouraging local governments to draft ordinances and agreements that are tailored to their needs. He also talked about the need to be fair to businesses and residents as this industry continues to develop. “Air monitoring is a good thing. Well monitoring is a good thing. That is a tricky part… to balance the economic development versus the protection of natural resources and our citizenry,” said Sen. Moulton (R) 23rd District.
Air monitoring is a big concern. Scott McCurdy presented at Thursday’s conference. He spent many years in oil and gas and mining exploration. He’s now an environmental consultant. He’s urging the DNR to set standards for silica dust that comes from mines. “There is some level of hazard associated with it. Why there is no desire for some type of regulation to manage that particular concern,” McCurdy continued, “I don’t know if there’s a real issue. I don’t know if people who are a half mile away from a mine or a processing plant are going to be affected, but hindsight is 20/20 and if you cause someone else harm because of your actions, how is that being responsible?
In the summer of 2011 the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism investigated frac sand mining in Wisconsin. This article includes stories about how Chippewa County residents are dealing with the mines in their area.
For a view of the impact of sand mining on local residents look at the first comment posted in PR Watch’s article about the Polluters over People Bill.
This December 11, 2011 New York Times editorial presents a timely snapshot for fracking concerns nationally and hearings for New York State.
VSN is committed to alerting our members and partners about the risk of frac sand mining in the State of Wisconsin and southwest Wisconsin specifically. New information will be released as it makes sense and our website and links updated accordingly.
Frac Sand Mining
What Hydraulic Fracturing Means to Wisconsin and the Kickapoo Valley
Update, February 6, 2012: An article in this week’s La Crosse Tribune reveals that some frac sand mining companies have neglected to comply with DNR endangered species regulations. Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism’s Kate Golden reported that frac sand mines are often located in prime habitat for the state’s endangered Karner blue butterfly. While the Wisconsin DNR has hired more staff to deal with the increased permitting required by this fast-moving industry, not all frac sand mining companies are knowledgeable about or compliant with regulations.
An excerpt from the article:
While the state Department of Transportation has been studying the effects of transporting all the sand on the state’s roads and rail lines, the DNR has devoted more staff to permits and enforcement. Two staffers are working just on frac sand air pollution permits, two more jobs have been devoted to enforcement, and since September, staffer Tom Woletz’s entire job has been coordinating frac sand permits.
As of mid-January, the DNR had counted about 60 mines, 32 plants either operating or being built, and 20 more proposed mines — more than double the 41 mines or plants the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism counted in mid-July. The agency conservatively estimated the state’s capacity at more than 12 million tons of sand a year.
Woletz said the agency can’t say exactly how many companies are out there and what their status is. They have no centralized industry organization, and they are “very competitive and very secretive” when buying land, he said.
Overall, Woletz said, the industry is “fairly well funded and they are receptive to doing what they need to do as far as permitting and compliance. But they want their permits at business speed,” — that is, “tomorrow.”
Also related to area frac sand mining, WDRT 91.9FM reporter Lila Marmel recently spoke with two Vernon County conservationists about how it might affect Kickapoo valley residents. Listen to this excellent, informative interview here (MP3 file).
What risk does Wisconsin face with hydraulic fracturing?
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process of blasting a slurry of water, chemicals and sand into shale rock formations to release the natural gas deposits found below. The sand helps hold the fractures open. As fracking gains popularity, demand for high-quality sand is soaring.
Some of the most desirable fracking (or “frac”) sand comes from Wisconsin bluff country. Here the sand is made of strong quartz, and grains are rounded, like marbles, and do not compact. Being above the water table, the sand is also easily accessible. Mining operations can simply burrow into the bluffs or scrape the sand from open pit mines. Furthermore, there is an abundant supply of this sand in Wisconsin.
Graphic courtesy of The Wisconsin State Journal
A recent Wisconsin State Journal article indicated that since 2010 over 30 frac sand mines or processing facilities have opened in the western part of the state and 20 more are currently proposed. In total, the state has about 60 frac sand mining operations of various sizes. Unlike gravel pits, frac sand mines can span hundreds of acres.
Most important to Wisconsin, questions have been raised about the impact of sand mines on air quality and public health. At the Maiden Rock sand mine 45 miles from Eau Claire sand is extracted by drilling holes into the sandstone wall, setting off explosives, waiting for the sand to clear, and then scooping the sand with front-end loaders. While there is an industry standard for worker exposure to silica dust, a substance known to cause adverse health effects, including cancer, there is no safe standard set for exposure for the general public. The WI DNR has stated that not enough data exists to determine the effects on public health and more information would take more staff and money than is currently available.
Other concerns include the negative impact on property values for homeowners close to sand mining as well as the need for road upgrades and provisions for land reclamation.
How could frac sand mining affect the Kickapoo valley?
Photo of a frac sand mine courtesy of Save the Trinity
Although the sand most desirable for fracking exists in the Kickapoo valley, it’s not easily accessible everywhere in the region. The source of this sand, upper Cambrian sandstone, is exposed only where the rivers have cut through the upper layers of rock. That means the sand would have to be mined near—or even in—the Kickapoo River and its tributaries.
Frac sand mines in other states, such as Arkansas and Texas, have already discharged processed water (sludge) into creeks and set up polluted sediment ponds near the rivers. In addition, operations this close to waterways increase erosion. The toll on habitat and wildlife is only beginning to be felt.
How might pending state legislation affect frac sand mining?
Wisconsin’s legislature is currently considering two bills that relate to frac sand mining and could affect the Kickapoo valley’s clean water.
Special Session Bill 24 (also known as the “Polluters over People” bill)
According to the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters: Bill 24 will sell out our natural resources statewide – not just to mining companies, but also to power plants, developers, and other polluters.
This destructive bill is a grab bag of bad policy:
- Cuts the public out of decisions that impact our waterways;
- Guts Wisconsin’s water quality protections;
- Threatens water quantity in Wisconsin’s lakes, streams, and wells;
- Undermines Wisconsin’s clean air protections;
- Serves as a backdoor attempt to weaken Wisconsin’s mining laws.
In a nutshell – This bill puts polluters over people. Take Action Now! This bill is being fast tracked through the legislature and we may have just days to stop it!
Assembly Mining Bill LRB 3520
The Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy, and Small Business released a new bill regarding iron mining permitting. With very few exceptions, the bill makes the same attacks on environmental protection of wetlands, groundwater, and navigable waters AND diminishes the opportunity for public input. Sadly, LRB 3520 removes all obstacles to mining companies in the permitting process, even if those obstacles are in place to ensure that there is abundant, clean water and an ongoing protection of local citizens’ and municipalities’ rights to stop efforts that will have a lasting negative impact on local communities.
While written at the behest of an out-of-state mining company proposing a strip mine of unprecedented size, this is by no means just a Northern Wisconsin issue. Sweeping changes outlined in the bill will apply to iron mines throughout the state. Just as the recent boom in sand mines has taken communities by surprise, the price jumps in metals including iron could result in multiple applications for mines in the near future.
An analysis of LRB 3520 from the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is available here and from the Wisconsin Legislative Council is available here.
What’s wrong with hydraulic fracturing?
As the U.S. seeks to increase its reliance on domestic energy sources, demand for natural gas has soared. In 2009 about 14% of natural gas came from shale; by 2035 it is projected this will rise to 46%. Of all the nation’s natural gas wells, 90% rely on hydraulic fracking. Some in the energy industry tout natural gas as clean energy. A closer look at hydraulic fracking proves that’s not the case.
Graphic courtesy of Al Granberg at ProPublica
Simply stated, there are concerns that fracking fluid contaminates aquifers, creates polluted wastewater that must be contained, consumes vast amounts of formerly clean water (which, because of its contamination, can never be re-used), and contributes to seismic activity. Oversight is also a question.
Citizen groups concerned about clean water and quality of life have challenged hydraulic fracturing practices and forced government agencies and municipalities to take a closer look. The Environmental Protection Agency recently linked drilling techniques to chemicals in drinking water in Wyoming. The State of Colorado will decide this week whether to require energy companies to publicly disclose the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. It’s important to note that this EPA finding comes with a caution that the report is linked to a particular field in Wyoming where gas wells were drilled close to water wells and at a relatively shallow depth much closer to an underground aquifer. This is but one of many current challenges to the range of concerns.
What can be done to prevent or limit frac sand mining?
According to the December 11, 2011 article in the Wisconsin State Journal, “counties and towns on the soundest footing are those with zoning laws that require companies to take steps such as controlling dust, paying for repair of roads, limiting operating hours and light and noise effects, and preventing mining too close to residential areas.”
Towns without zoning, or without zoning power, face limited options. A novel approach taken by the unzoned town of Howard was to use its licensing power to propose a developers’ agreement including a blasting permit requirement and property value guarantees. Unzoned towns will need a blasting ordinance.
Some counties have enacted moratoriums on new mining operations to consider regulations for development.
Concerned citizens can also voice their opinions about the water quality and mining bills being considered by Wisconsin’s legislature right now.
Want to learn more about Wisconsin’s frac sand mining?
The Wisconsin Towns association and the Farmers Union, led by Westby farmer Darin Von Ruden, is planning a frac sand mine seminar January 12, 2012 at the Plaza Hotel in Eau Claire, a repeat of a seminar held December 1.
Learn more about the conference and follow related media links at The Wisconsin Farmers Union Web site. Coverage of the December 1 seminar can be found here.
Two quotes from the December seminar are notable –
In the summer of 2011 the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism investigated frac sand mining in Wisconsin. This article includes stories about how Chippewa County residents are dealing with the mines in their area.
For a view of the impact of sand mining on local residents look at the first comment posted in PR Watch’s article about the Polluters over People Bill.
This December 11, 2011 New York Times editorial presents a timely snapshot for fracking concerns nationally and hearings for New York State.
VSN is committed to alerting our members and partners about the risk of frac sand mining in the State of Wisconsin and southwest Wisconsin specifically. New information will be released as it makes sense and our website and links updated accordingly.