Community Forum Will Discuss Possibility of Frac Sand Mining In the St. Croix Valley

A panel of experts will provide information and discussion in White Bear Lake on October 29th.

By Greg Seitz | October 9, 2013 | 2 minute read

Via River Valley Action:

Map of Frac sand deposits in Minnesota

Frac sand deposits in Minnesota (Map courtesy MN DNR)

The silica sand used in hydraulic fracking is a valuable commodity. Minnesota is home to extensive silica sand deposits, some of which are located at or near the surface in Washington County.

Frac sand mining is a complex and contentious issue. Concerns about intense truck traffic, water pollution and health impacts from silica dust are pitted against energy independence, jobs and economic stimulus.

Join us for a rare opportunity to hear about frac sand mining from citizen, community, regulatory, business and public policy viewpoints. The forum will be moderated by retired WCCO news anchor Don Shelby.

Fred Harding, Member of Maiden Rock (Wisconsin) Concerned Citizens
Bill Spitzer, Mayor of St. Charles, Minnesota
Tom Landwehr, Commissioner, Minnesota DNR
Rep. Peter Fischer, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee
Dennis Egan, Executive Director, Minnesota Industrial Sand Council

Refreshments will be served prior to the event from 6:30-7:00 pm. Parking and forum seating are limited – carpooling is strongly recommended. This event is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013
7:00-8:45 p.m.
White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church
328 Maple Street, Mahtomedi, MN 55115

For more information about the event, contact lwvwhitebearlakemn@gmail.com or go to RiverValleyAction.org.

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church Climate Change Committee, River Valley Action, Izaak Walton League, Mahtomedi Area Green Initiative, Friends of Washington County, St. Croix River Association, and St. Andrew’s Environmental Stewardship Team.

Related

REPUBLISHING TERMS

You may republish this article online or in print under our Creative Commons license. You may not edit or shorten the text, you must attribute the article to St. Croix 360 and you must include the author’s name in your republication.

If you have any questions, please email greg@stcroix360.com

License

Creative Commons License Attribution-ShareAlike

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike

Community Forum Will Discuss Possibility of Frac Sand Mining In the St. Croix Valley

<em>Via <a href="http://www.rivervalleyaction.org">River Valley Action</a>:</em>

[caption id="attachment_8020" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/statusmap_iss_b.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-8020" alt="Map of Frac sand deposits in Minnesota" src="https://www.stcroix360.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/statusmap_iss_b-300x300.png" width="300" height="300" /></a> Frac sand deposits in Minnesota (Map courtesy <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/silicasand/faq.html">MN DNR</a>)[/caption]

The silica sand used in hydraulic fracking is a valuable commodity. Minnesota is home to extensive silica sand deposits, some of which are located <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/silicasand/faq.html#2">at or near the surface in Washington County</a>.

Frac sand mining is a complex and contentious issue. Concerns about intense truck traffic, water pollution and health impacts from silica dust are pitted against energy independence, jobs and economic stimulus.

Join us for a rare opportunity to hear about frac sand mining from citizen, community, regulatory, business and public policy viewpoints. The forum will be moderated by retired WCCO news anchor Don Shelby.
<ul>
	<li>Fred Harding, Member of Maiden Rock (Wisconsin) Concerned Citizens</li>
	<li>Bill Spitzer, Mayor of St. Charles, Minnesota</li>
	<li>Tom Landwehr, Commissioner, Minnesota DNR</li>
	<li>Rep. Peter Fischer, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee</li>
	<li>Dennis Egan, Executive Director, Minnesota Industrial Sand Council</li>
</ul>
Refreshments will be served prior to the event from 6:30-7:00 pm. Parking and forum seating are limited - carpooling is strongly recommended. This event is free and open to the public.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Tuesday, October 29, 2013</strong>
7:00-8:45 p.m.
White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church
328 Maple Street, Mahtomedi, MN 55115</p>
For more information about the event, contact <a href="mailto:lwvwhitebearlakemn@gmail.com">lwvwhitebearlakemn@gmail.com</a> or go to <a href="RiverValleyAction.org">RiverValleyAction.org</a>.

Sponsored by the <a href="http://www.lwvmn.org/page.aspx?pid=550">League of Women Voters</a>, <a href="http://whitebearunitarian.org/">White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church</a> Climate Change Committee, <a href="http://rivervalleyaction.org/">River Valley Action</a>, <a href="http://www.iwla.org/">Izaak Walton League</a>, <a href="http://mahtomedigreen.org/">Mahtomedi Area Green Initiative</a>, Friends of Washington County, <a href="http://www.stcroixriverassociation.org">St. Croix River Association</a>, and <a href="http://www.saintandrews.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=166612">St. Andrew’s Environmental Stewardship Team</a>.