tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9024699646116729822024-02-20T12:26:22.039-08:00Frac Sand Mining --------------- State / National ActivityThe world is run by those who show up!FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-18419045839778105172016-04-07T20:36:00.002-07:002016-04-07T20:36:38.763-07:00These bills weaken the interim ordinance powers of townships and cities.<div id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_34047" style="text-align: center;">
<span id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_34046" style="color: maroon;"><span id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_34045" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_34044">Calls needed TODAY. Bill
to Weaken Local Control Gets Senate Hearing on
Monday</strong></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_34049">
<strong id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_34048">Corporate interests are
pushing bills to weaken the rights of cities and townships to effectively
respond to unwanted and potentially harmful developments.</strong> This in turn
weakens our ability as citizens to work through our local government to protect
our community. </div>
<ul id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_27666">
<li id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_27667"><strong><a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF2585&ssn=0&y=2015" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">House File 2585</a>:</strong> Reps. Jim
Nash (R-Waconia), Mark Uglem (R-Champlin), Mike Nelson (DFL-Brooklyn Park), Leon
Lillie (DFL-North St. Paul), Josh Heintzeman (R-Baxter), Jerry Hertaus
(R-Greenfield), Linda Runbeck (R- Circle Pines)
</li>
<li id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_27665"><strong id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_27669"><a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF2694&y=2016&ssn=0&b=senate" id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_27668" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Senate File 2694</a></strong>: Sen. Melisa
Franzen (DFL-Edina)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_27635">
<strong id="yiv9672488171yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1460060063298_27636">The bills weaken the
interim ordinance powers of townships and cities</strong>. Interim ordinances
allow cities or townships to quickly put a temporary moratorium on major
development. This is an emergency power that is essential when the community is
caught off-guard by unanticipated and potentially harmful proposals, especially
those from outside corporate interests. The interim ordinance freezes the status
quo and gives the community time to review or create the appropriate zoning
ordinances. Corporate interests have long pushed to weaken these rights because
citizens have used them effectively to stop unwanted developments like factory
farms.</div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-14063614334092544722016-02-18T20:50:00.000-08:002016-04-07T20:51:11.747-07:00<div align="center" id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7212">
<span id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7211" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7210" style="color: green;"><strong id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7209">Demand a Legislative Process
That Puts People First, Not Corporate Special
Interests.</strong></span></span></div>
<div align="center" id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7208">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: green;"><strong>Restore the
Citizens’ Board!</strong></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7208" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: green;"><strong><br /></strong></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7208" style="text-align: center;">
<div id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7250" style="text-align: left;">
<strong id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7249">It was unbelievable</strong>. A
democratic institution established in 1968 was abolished literally in the dark
of night in the final hours of the 2015 state legislative session. The Citizens’
Board of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency had served as a testament to our
Minnesota value that people deserve a say in the decisions that impact their
lives and their communities.</div>
<div id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7251" style="text-align: left;">
<strong id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_13267">The Citizens’ Board stood for
people over corporate interests. </strong>This Board put citizens in a
critical decision-making role and gave them a place to have their voices heard.
That is what happened in August 2014 when the Board listened to farmers and
rural neighbors opposed to a massive proposed 8,850-cow factory farm and ordered
an in-depth environmental review. It was then that corporate interests began
their attack of the Board.</div>
<div id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7252" style="text-align: left;">
The provision to abolish
the Citizen’s Board was inserted in the last hours of the regular legislative
session into the Omnibus Environment Finance Bill late at night. Many other
rollbacks on bedrock environmental policy were included in this finance bill,
making last session the worst in a decade for our environment. And even though a
strong majority of DFL Senators opposed this provision and voted against it
several times, it was still able to pass the DFL controlled Senate. <u id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7253">The fact is that the
current structure of the Minnesota Senate favors corporate special interests
when it comes to protecting our environment.</u></div>
<div id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7256" style="text-align: left;">
<strong>Take Action
Now! </strong>The state legislative session begins March 8. <strong id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7255"><a href="http://out02.thedatabank.com/?r=MTAwMw0KSjIzNDE1NS1DMjMxLU0xNzY4MTEtOTMxLWxzcHN0YWZmDQozNzE1NjIzMTk1MjUwNTEwNTY2MzExNzY4MTExMDANCjljMDAwMDAwMzAyNGE3DQpodHRwczovL3d3dzMudGhlZGF0YWJhbmsuY29tL2RwZy8yMzEvTGlua1RvQWN0aW9uLmFzcD9hPTM3MTU2MjMxOTUyNTA1MTA1NjYzMTE3NjgxMTEwMCZiPTIxODM5MzE0MjE0NQ0KQWxlcnQxOA0KbmVzdHJlZTExNDAyQHlhaG9vLmNvbQ%3d%3d" id="yiv2333191743yui_3_16_0_1_1455830245611_7254" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Click here to let your Senator and Senate
Majority Leader Tom Bakk know that we want our Citizens' Board back and a Senate
that puts people first, not corporate interests.</a></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thanks for your action,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Bobby King</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Land Stewardship Project</div>
</div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-42790965748479765652015-12-17T20:52:00.000-08:002016-04-07T20:53:09.799-07:00Lifting the ban would VASTLY increase fracking, frack-sand mining, and exploding oil trains<div id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9751">
<div id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_10986" style="display: inline;">
Dear Friends:</div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9750">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9756">
<span id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9755"><strong id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9754"><em id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9753"><u id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9752">This is an urgent
message!!!!!</u></em></strong></span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9757" style="line-height: 25px;">
<span id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_9758" style="font-family: Georgia;">Lawmakers on
Tuesday night agreed to end a 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports as a
condition of the $1.1 trillion </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=902469964611672982" id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_15926" rel="nofollow" shape="rect"><span id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_15925" style="font-family: Georgia;">omnibus spending and taxation bill</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia;">,
paving the way for a dramatic increase in drilling, fracking, and carbon
emissions.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 25px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This GOP sponsored legislation comes just days after the </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=902469964611672982" rel="nofollow" shape="rect"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">COP21 </span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia;">climate talks in Paris. It threatens to undo much of the progress
to address climate change made at the United Nations-brokered
negotiations.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263460-some-dems-greens-object-to-oil-export-allowance" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" title="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263460-some-dems-greens-object-to-oil-export-allowance"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263460-some-dems-greens-object-to-oil-export-allowance</span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-16/congress-reaches-fiscal-deal-that-ends-u-s-crude-oil-export-ban" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" title="http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-16/congress-reaches-fiscal-deal-that-ends-u-s-crude-oil-export-ban">http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-12-16/congress-reaches-fiscal-deal-that-ends-u-s-crude-oil-export-ban</a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/wind-solar-companies-get-boost-from-tax-credit-extension-1450311501" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" title="http://www.wsj.com/articles/wind-solar-companies-get-boost-from-tax-credit-extension-1450311501">http://www.wsj.com/articles/wind-solar-companies-get-boost-from-tax-credit-extension-1450311501</a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/16/undercutting-climprogress-congressate--agrees-lift-oil-export-ban" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/16/undercutting-climprogress-congressate--agrees-lift-oil-export-ban</a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="display: inline;">
<b></b></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>
<div style="display: inline;">
<b>Among other environmentally
damaging impacts, lifting the ban would </b></div>
<div style="display: inline;">
<b>VASTLY increase fracking,
frack-sand mining, and exploding oil trains: </b></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<ul class="yiv8486488134MailOutline">
<li><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">huge increase in pressure to
mine frack sand</span></b>
</li>
<li><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">more exploding oil cars s every day</span></b>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>3.3 million more barrels of oil every day
</strong></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>7,600 new fracking wells every year
</strong></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>135 more coal-fired plants</strong></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>100 square miles of land each year lost to drilling
</strong></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>export ban lifted in exchange for extended
solar/wind tax credits <u>for only 5 years</u>. </strong></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>even if we lose, the more pressure we bring to bear
(mostly on Democrats) now, the easier our work will be in the coming months to
pressure Obama to declare nat’l environmental emergency, which allows him to
reinsert the ban for one year.</strong></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><em><u>This is NOT a done-deal, despite
what the media says. .</u></em></strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em><u><b>Please CALL</b> <strong>your US
senator, congressperson, and the President, and tell them they must NOT vote for
this bill.</strong></u></em></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<ul class="yiv8486488134MailOutline">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>U.S. Senator 202-224-3121</b> </span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Congressman 202-224-3121</b> </span>
</li>
<li><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">President Obama 202-456-1111 or </span><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.whitehouse.gov</span></a></b></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><em><u>Please
join Environmental and Climate Action Groups all over the country in a fast
lobbying response to defeat this very bad
legislation.</u></em></strong></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<strong><em><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"></span></u></em></strong> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10pt; font-stretch: normal;">
<strong><em><u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Thank
you.</span></u></em></strong></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Ken Tschumper<br clear="none" />1640 Tschumper Rd,<br clear="none" />La Crescent MN. 55947<br clear="none" />507-894-4248<br clear="none" />ktschump@acegroup.cc</span></div>
<br />
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<blockquote id="yiv8486488134yui_3_16_0_1_1450387564966_15723" type="cite">
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-84042757211565847212015-04-23T20:16:00.001-07:002015-04-23T20:16:37.394-07:00ACT NOW (AGAIN!): Bill to Gut the MPCA Citizens' Board is on the MN House Floor Friday<div id="yiv2986700021yui_3_16_0_1_1429820604367_25888" style="text-align: center;">
<strong id="yiv2986700021yui_3_16_0_1_1429820604367_25902"><span id="yiv2986700021yui_3_16_0_1_1429820604367_25901" style="color: brown;"><span id="yiv2986700021yui_3_16_0_1_1429820604367_25900" style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Legislation that Guts the Power of the MPCA Citizens'
Board<br clear="none" />will be on the MN House Floor on
Friday</span></span></span></strong></div>
<div id="yiv2986700021yui_3_16_0_1_1429820604367_25895">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yiv2986700021yui_3_16_0_1_1429820604367_25896">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong id="yiv2986700021yui_3_16_0_1_1429820604367_25897">Contact your state
Representative today and tell them to stand up to corporate special interests
and keep the MPCA Citizens’ Board strong.</strong> The House Omnibus Environment
Finance Bill contains provisions that gut the authority of the MPCA Citizens’
Board and it will be on the House floor Friday, April 24.</span></div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Corporate ag is attacking the MPCA Citizens’ Board</strong>. In
August 2014, neighbors to a proposed 8,850-cow factory farm in Stevens County
called on the MPCA Citizens' Board to protect their community. Among neighbors’
concerns was that each year this factory farm would have used close to 100
million gallons of water and generated over 75 million gallons of liquid manure.
The MPCA Citizens’ Board listened and for the first time ever ordered an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a factory farm. However, that’s one EIS
too many for corporate agriculture interests.</span></div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bobby King<br clear="none" />Land Stewardship Project<br clear="none" />612-722-6377</span></div>
</div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-18960681123740093902015-04-23T20:14:00.000-07:002015-04-23T20:14:04.141-07:00Proposed Minnesota state legislation establishes a self-appointed board of corporate ag interests that oversees millions in public funds. <div align="center" id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26177">
<span id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26180" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26179" style="color: firebrick;"><strong id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26178"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bill Would Put Corporate Ag
Interests in Charge of Millions of Public Dollars</span></strong></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26176">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26175">Proposed Minnesota state
legislation establishes a self-appointed board of corporate ag interests that
oversees millions in public funds. </strong>The House Omnibus Ag Finance Bill
(House File 1437) aims to put corporate ag interests in charge of millions in
public funds with no accountability. The bill creates the “Agriculture,
Research, Education, Extension, and Technology Transfer Fund” and establishes a
board that controls the funding. This board is made up primarily of corporate ag
and commodity groups that appoint their own representatives to the board. This
self-appointed board controls these public funds and the bill has no provisions
for transparency or accountability.</span></div>
<div id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26176">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26169">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_27493">The fund focuses on
productivity, not sustainability. </strong>The bill directs the funds to focus
on “investments that will most efficiently achieve long-term agricultural
<u>productivity </u>. ” Directing research dollars to
focus only on productivity, with no regard for stewardship of our land and water
or profitability for farmers, is bad policy. This language needs to say
“productivity <u>and sustainability</u>.”</span></div>
<div id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_26169">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_27495">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u id="yiv0939141667yui_3_16_0_1_1429739648384_27494">It’s hard to believe such a bad
idea could get so far</u>. This is such a bad idea that the <em>Star
Tribune</em> newspaper on Monday wrote a major editorial opposing the idea: "<a href="http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/300384901.html" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">New Minnesota ag board would set troubling
precedent</a>." The editorial says, in part, “Essentially, the legislation
creates a pot of public money and turns it over to interest group
representatives with vague language about how it could be spent.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take action now to let
your legislators know that you don’t want special interests put in charge of
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-53722178593713037062015-04-04T11:07:00.003-07:002015-04-04T11:08:25.652-07:00Saturday, May 9th - a big conference for frac-sand activists <div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1428086745243_55137" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="yiv0251754678" id="yiv0251754678yui_3_16_0_1_1428086745243_21406" style="color: #d12110;">SAVE THE DATE! </span> </span></b></div>
<div>
On Saturday, <b class="yiv0251754678" id="yiv0251754678yui_3_16_0_1_1428086745243_21643">May
9th </b>a big conference for frac-sand activists will be held in Lake City MN,
for people from our entire region, both sides of Mississippi.</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="color: #77085a;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Join citizen volunteers from both sides of the Mississippi River for a
day of network building and information exchange. Whether you are new to the
issue or an experienced advocate, this conference is for you. We are all working to protect our communities
from the adverse impacts of industrial-scale silica sand mining, processing and
transport. At the conference you will meet citizens and hear success stories
from all over the region. You will leave with ideas that you can use in your
own community.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
Saturday,
May 9, 2015<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
8:30 AM to
3:30 PM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
St. Mary
of the Lake Church<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
419 West
Lyon Ave. (Hwy. 63), Lake City, MN 55041<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
Located 3
blocks from Hwy. 61 on Hwy. 63. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
$15
includes lunch and breaks<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
Registration
information below<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-50399397747563592602015-04-04T10:47:00.000-07:002015-04-04T10:47:07.206-07:00Environmental Impact Statement on a factory farm<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"> In August 2014, neighbors to a proposed 8,850-cow factory farm in <a href="http://bit.ly/1GkuIHf" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stevens County</a>, Minnesota called on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens' Board to protect their community. Among neighbors' concerns was that each year this factory farm would have used close to 100 million gallons of water and generated over 75 million gallons of liquid manure. </span></h2>
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<a href="http://landstewardshipproject.org/posts/blog/642" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">The MPCA Citizens' Board listened and for the first time ever ordered an Environmental Impact Statement on a factory farm.</span></a></h2>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-66278575198964633032015-03-01T14:03:00.001-08:002015-03-01T14:03:11.372-08:00No wonder Hackbarth reopened this issue for an industry whineathon<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, hirakakupro-w3, osaka, 'ms pgothic', sans-serif;">No wonder Hackbarth reopened</span> <a href="http://www.bluestemprairie.com/bluestemprairie/2015/01/mining-outdoor-rec-committee-invites-frac-sand-mining-industry-to-inform-them-about-stuff.html" target="_blank">this issue for an industry whineathon about regulations in his Mining and Outdoor Wrecks Committee without asking citizen groups</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, hirakakupro-w3, osaka, 'ms pgothic', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bluestemprairie.com/bluestemprairie/2015/01/mining-outdoor-rec-committee-invites-frac-sand-mining-industry-to-inform-them-about-stuff.html" target="_blank"> as well.</a> See more in </span><a href="http://www.bluestemprairie.com/bluestemprairie/2015/01/mining-outdoor-wrecks-committee-hackbarths-frac-sand-industry-overview.html" style="background-color: white; color: #2d318a; font-family: arial, helvetica, hirakakupro-w3, osaka, 'ms pgothic', sans-serif;" target="_self">Mining & Outdoor Wrecks Committee: Hackbarth's frac sand industry showcase</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, hirakakupro-w3, osaka, 'ms pgothic', sans-serif;">.</span></span>FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-30313487636348430992015-01-28T21:13:00.001-08:002015-01-28T21:13:39.433-08:00Stand Up for Environmental Review & Citizen Input on Jan. 29<div style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
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<span id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_39265" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">On Friday,
January 23, 2015 10:46 AM, Bobby King (LSP)
<bking@landstewardshipproject.org> wrote:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/_public/hasFriend.asp?aacwc=37156231952505105214416098499&email=nestree11402%40yahoo.com" id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_42617" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank"><img alt="Forward this message to a friend." border="0" data-id="68a156f0-6cf1-96ad-a61b-479814d9c8e9" id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_42616" src="http://www.thedatabank.com/images/fwd.gif" /></a><br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />
<div align="center" id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_39594" style="line-height: 100% !important;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: maroon;"><strong>LSP Action
Alert</strong></span></span></div>
<h2 align="center" id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_39596" style="line-height: 100% !important;">
<strong id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_39595">Stand Up for Environmental
Review & Citizen Input on Jan. 29</strong></h2>
<h3 align="center" id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_39598" style="line-height: 100% !important;">
<strong id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_39597">Plan to Attend Senate
Environment Policy Committee Hearing Thurs., Jan. 29, at Noon, on the Importance
of Environmental Review & Citizen Input</strong></h3>
<div id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_39599">
A recent decision by the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens' Board to order a much needed
in-depth environmental review of an 8,850 cow mega-dairy has corporate ag
interests out to gut environmental review and citizen input. (More details
below.) Rather than let corporate interests set the agenda, Senator John Marty,
Chair of the Senate Environment Policy Committee, is holding a hearing on the
<u>POSITIVE</u> impacts of environmental review and citizen input in that
process. The fact is that Minnesota is a better place to live because of
policies that allow citizens to have a voice in decisions that will impact their
community and that assess how potential environmental harm can be avoided BEFORE
a project is permitted.</div>
<div id="yiv7903468262yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_42623">
LSP dairy farmer-member
James Kanne of Renville County will be testifying on why family farms and rural
Minnesota are better off when we require large-scale factory farms to fully
disclose the potential harm to the community through environmental review.
</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_57737">
<strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_57736">Take Action to support strengthening
environmental review in Minnesota and citizen input in the process.
</strong></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_57739">
<strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_57738">1. Attend the Senate Environment Policy
hearing Jan. 29, from noon to 1:30 p.m., in Room 107 of the State Capitol.
</strong></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1422044406042_57740" style="margin-left: 40px;">
If you plan
to attend, let Bobby King at LSP know at <strong><a href="mailto:bking@landstewardshipproject.org" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:bking@landstewardshipproject.org">bking@landstewardshipproject.org</a></strong>
or 612-722-6377. <strong>If you need a ride</strong>, we have a car coming up
from southeast Minnesota and are arranging for carpooling in other parts of the
state. If you do plan to attend, remember that there is extensive construction
going on at the State Capitol and give yourself extra time to find
parking. <strong><a href="http://mn.gov/admin/citizen/buildings-grounds/parking/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Parking information is here</a>.</strong></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
Can’t attend but want to watch? <strong><a href="http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/media/index.php?ls=&type=video" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">You can watch the hearing online
here</a>.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>2. Contact members of the Senate Environment Policy Committee and
let them know you think environmental review and citizen input make Minnesota
strong and a great place to live and do business.</strong></div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
<strong>Suggested message</strong>: “As a member
of the Senate Environment Policy Committee, you will be hearing about
environmental review and citizen participation in the process at your Jan. 29
meeting. Minnesotans know that economic development does not have to come at the
expense of our environment and that citizen input into major developments that
will impact their community for decades to come is a good thing. This is what
environmental review does. It assesses what the potential harm is up-front
<u>before</u> permitting begins. This makes sense and I strongly support
policies like these. Corporate ag interests want environmental review weakened
because the MPCA Citizens’ Board made the right decision to order an
Environmental Impact Statement on a proposed 8,000 cow mega-dairy. It would be
wrong to weaken this bedrock environmental protection for corporate special
interests.”</div>
<ul>
<li>Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Vernon Center) at 651-296-5713 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn">sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Matt Schmit (DFL-Red Wing) at 651-296-4264 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.matt.schmit@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.matt.schmit@senate.mn">sen.matt.schmit@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) at 651-296-4154 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn">sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Lyle Koenen (DFL-Clara City) at 651-296-5094 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.lyle.koenen@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.lyle.koenen@senate.mn">sen.lyle.koenen@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne) at 651-296-5650 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.bill.weber@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.bill.weber@senate.mn">sen.bill.weber@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. David Osmek (R-Mound) at 651-296-1282 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.david.osmek@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.david.osmek@senate.mn">sen.david.osmek@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) at 651-296-3219 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn">sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. David Brown (R-Becker) at 651-296-8075 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.david.brown@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.david.brown@senate.mn">sen.david.brown@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Chris Eaton (DFL-Brooklyn Center) at 651-296-8869 or <strong><a href="http://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1192&ls=" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Use Mail Form</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Foung Hawj (DFL-St. Paul) at 651-296-5285 or <strong><a href="http://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1213&ls=" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Use Mail Form</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Bev Scalze (DFL-Little Canada) at 651-296-5537 or <strong><a href="mailto:sen.bev.scalze@senate.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sen.bev.scalze@senate.mn">sen.bev.scalze@senate.mn</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. D. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) at 651-296-4191 or <strong><a href="http://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1010&ls=" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Use Mail Form</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport) at 651-297-8060 or <strong><a href="http://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1115&ls=" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Use Mail Form</a></strong>
</li>
<li>Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) at 651-296-5645 or <strong><a href="http://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1035&ls=" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Use Mail Form</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<div>
<strong>MORE DETAILS:</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>• The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens’ Board ordered an
Environmental Impact Statement on an 8,850 cow mega-dairy in Stevens
County</strong>. Each year this operation would have used over 100 million
gallons of water and generated over 75 million gallons of liquid manure.
Neighbors wanted a complete assessment of the impacts to their community
<u>before</u> it was permitted. This proposal was massive and would have been
the largest dairy in Minnesota where 92 percent of all dairy farms are under 200
cows. The MPCA Citizens’ Board listened and made the appropriate decision to
order an in-depth environmental review. The response from corporate ag interests
has been to push for weakening environmental review, including the extreme
proposal of eliminating the MPCA Citizens’ Board. More details are in the LSP
blog: <strong><a href="http://landstewardshipproject.org/posts/642" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">LSP Applauds MPCA Citizens’ Board Ordering of EIS on
Massive Dairy Factory Farm</a></strong>.</div>
<div>
<strong>• How many and how large are dairy farms in Minnesota?</strong>
There are 3,422 dairy farms in Minnesota. The average dairy herd size is 105
cows. The median herd size is 60. Ninety-two percent of all dairy farmers are
200 cows or under. Only 30 dairy farms (less than 1 percent) are over 1,000
cows.</div>
<div>
<strong>• Read the commentary from Rep. David Bly which is currently
running throughout rural Minnesota: <a href="http://www.southernminn.com/northfield_news/opinion/article_0da1cdc5-dff2-50e6-a9d8-7b519d47771c.html" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Family farmers are 'real ag' and key to
rural Minnesota’s future</a></strong></div>
<div>
<strong>• Read this recent LSP action alert on the issue: <a href="http://landstewardshipproject.org/posts/669" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">Local Control & Environmental Review of Factory Farms Under
Attack Even Before the MN Legislative Session Begins</a></strong></div>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-90152630131309993702015-01-28T21:06:00.004-08:002015-01-28T21:06:39.698-08:00Here's what transpired at the House Mining & Outdoor Recreation Policy Committee meeting yesterday<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1422473759892_50700">
Check out this website for an article
about the frac sand proceedings in St. Paul yesterday. See especially Lynn
Schoen's three minutes of testimony: </div>
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<a class="yiv0880549044" href="http://theuptake.org/2015/01/27/mn-towns-ignored-in-frac-sand-mining-debate-says-wabasha-city-council-member/" id="yiv0880549044yui_3_16_0_1_1422473759892_43717" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">http://theuptake.org/2015/01/27/mn-towns-ignored-in-frac-sand-mining-debate-says-wabasha-city-council-member/</a><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />Then read
Katie Himanga's excellent summary below...Jeanne<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />"Here's what transpired at the
House Mining & Outdoor Recreation Policy Committee meeting yesterday:<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />Industry
representatives included CEOs, attorneys, Presidents and the like from
Minnesota's largest companies. Several stated how pleased they were to be
INVITED to testify at the hearing. Many, perhaps all, had prepared statements
that they read into the record.<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />Several legislatures used time for questions to
make effusive statements of support for the industries represented rather than
ask a questionSome made statements (generally couched as questions) that reflect
a lack of understanding of SE Minnesota geology, misinformation about the Silica
Rule-Making Advisory Panel and, more than anything, bias in favor of
industry.<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />Unimen paid Dr. John Richard, PhD, PE, QSTI Air Control Techniques of
North Carolina to come to to the hearing (they had secured a slot on the agenda
for him) and testify about air emissions. One legislator was informed enough to
ask about the smallest particle sizes. Dr. Richard's had to shorten his
presentation because other speakers had run long<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />Agency professionals from the EQB and PCA gave updates on the
Rule-Making process. The DNR was asked to come back to another meeting due to
time constraints<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />As a result of citizen complaints to the Committee, a few minutes
were added to the meeting and citizens allowed to speak. Speakers from our area
were Amy Nelson, Lynn Schoen and me. Amy and Lynn addressed the
inappropriateness of a hearing on this subject with no time scheduled for
citizen or local government input. I addressed reclamation.<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />The Chairperson made a point of mentioning that
the Land Stewardship Project was invited to speak but had declined (they'd been
told they could speak for 2 minutes during citizen input which is much different
that equal-time-for-citizens that LSP requested)<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />My impression: the "informational
meeting" was for the purpose of grooming legislators; preparing them to
discredit the work of the Silica Rule-Making Advisory Panel, fight the adoption
of Rules, continue with industry status quo and still be able to sleep at
night.<br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><span style="color: red;">Industry representatives have been respectful participants in the
rule-making process, but I cannot imagine that they plan to do anything other
than fight tooth-and-nail against adoption.</span><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" /><br class="yiv0880549044" clear="none" />Katie"</div>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-1077394998255443852015-01-27T21:08:00.000-08:002015-01-28T21:08:56.811-08:00hearing that shuts out the voices of these rural Minnesotans while giving time to industry lobbyists is undemocratic and unfair.<div id="yiv7556907984">
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<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37002" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_44536" style="font-size: 12pt;">Hi folks,</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37001" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_44540" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36964" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36967" style="font-size: 12pt;">Rochester Post-Bulletin reporter Heather Carlson wrote a
good blog post on tomorrow's events. It's here: <a class="yiv7556907984" href="http://postbulletin.typepad.com/political_party/2015/01/frac-sand-mining-opponents-want-house-hearing-cancelled.html" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36966" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36965" style="color: blue;">http://postbulletin.typepad.com/political_party/2015/01/frac-sand-mining-opponents-want-house-hearing-cancelled.html</span></a></span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36968" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_44541" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36970" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36969" style="font-size: 12pt;">If you're so inclined, please considering leaving your
own thoughts in the comments on the post, and/or sharing the post on social
media. Heather told me she also plans to be there to cover the hearing
tomorrow.</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36971" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_63077" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36812" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37003" style="font-size: 12pt;">Johanna</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36972" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_63078" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36973" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37004" style="font-size: 12pt;">Johanna Rupprecht</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36974" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37005" style="font-size: 12pt;">Policy Organizer</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36975" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37006" style="font-size: 12pt;">Land Stewardship Project</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36976" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<b id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36988">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</b>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36978" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<b class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36983"> </b><b class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36981"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36980"></span></b><b class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36992"> </b> </div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36996" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<b class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37008">From: </b><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36995">Johanna Rupprecht <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:jrupprecht@landstewardshipproject.org" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_51283" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:jrupprecht@landstewardshipproject.org"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_51282" style="color: blue;">jrupprecht@landstewardshipproject.org</span></a>><br class="yiv7556907984" clear="none" /><b class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36994">Date:
</b>Friday, January 23, 2015 6:27 PM<br class="yiv7556907984" clear="none" /><b class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37009">To: </b>"<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_44557" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_44556" style="color: blue;">rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn</span></a>" <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_51315" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_51314" style="color: blue;">rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn</span></a>><br class="yiv7556907984" clear="none" /><b class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37010">Cc: </b>"<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_44560" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_44559" style="color: blue;">rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn</span></a>" <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_51312" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_51311" style="color: blue;">rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.dale.lueck@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.dale.lueck@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.dale.lueck@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.dale.lueck@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37012" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.dale.lueck@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37011" style="color: blue;">rep.dale.lueck@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.david.dill@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_57726" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.david.dill@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_57725" style="color: blue;">rep.david.dill@house.mn</span></a>" <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.david.dill@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.david.dill@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.david.dill@house.mn</span></a>>,
"<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.mark.anderson@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37014" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.mark.anderson@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37013" style="color: blue;">rep.mark.anderson@house.mn</span></a>" <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.mark.anderson@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.mark.anderson@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.mark.anderson@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37016" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37015" style="color: blue;">rep.tom.anzelc@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.jack.considine@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.jack.considine@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.jack.considine@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.jack.considine@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.jack.considine@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.jack.considine@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.tony.cornish@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37018" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.tony.cornish@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37017" style="color: blue;">rep.tony.cornish@house.mn</span></a>" <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.tony.cornish@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.tony.cornish@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.tony.cornish@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.jerry.hertaus@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.jerry.hertaus@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.jerry.hertaus@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.jerry.hertaus@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37020" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.jerry.hertaus@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37019" style="color: blue;">rep.jerry.hertaus@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.brian.johnson@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.brian.johnson@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.brian.johnson@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.brian.johnson@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.brian.johnson@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.brian.johnson@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.deb.kiel@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37022" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.deb.kiel@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37021" style="color: blue;">rep.deb.kiel@house.mn</span></a>" <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.deb.kiel@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.deb.kiel@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.deb.kiel@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.eric.lucero@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.eric.lucero@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.eric.lucero@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.eric.lucero@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.eric.lucero@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.eric.lucero@house.mn</span></a>>,
"<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37024" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37023" style="color: blue;">rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn</span></a>" <<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.carly.melin@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.carly.melin@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.carly.melin@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.carly.melin@house.mn" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37026" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.carly.melin@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_37025" style="color: blue;">rep.carly.melin@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.jason.metsa@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.jason.metsa@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.jason.metsa@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.jason.metsa@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.jason.metsa@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.jason.metsa@house.mn</span></a>>,
"<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn</span></a>>, "<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:stephanie.lamphere@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:stephanie.lamphere@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">stephanie.lamphere@house.mn</span></a>"
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:stephanie.lamphere@house.mn" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:stephanie.lamphere@house.mn"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">stephanie.lamphere@house.mn</span></a>>, Bobby King
<<a class="yiv7556907984" href="mailto:bking@landstewardshipproject.org" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:bking@landstewardshipproject.org"><span class="yiv7556907984" style="color: blue;">bking@landstewardshipproject.org</span></a>><br class="yiv7556907984" clear="none" /><b class="yiv7556907984">Subject: </b>January 27
Mining and Outdoor Recreation Policy Committee Hearing</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Representative
Hackbarth, Chair</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Mining and Outdoor
Recreation Policy Committee</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">100 Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd.<br class="yiv7556907984" clear="none" />Saint Paul, Minnesota
55155</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">January 23,
2015</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Dear Representative
Hackbarth:</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">The Mining and
Outdoor Recreation Policy Committee has an informational hearing on the frac
sand industry scheduled for Tuesday, January 27. It is clear from the meeting
announcement that representatives of the frac sand industry will be given ample
time to testify while no time at all is scheduled for citizens. Rural
Minnesotans throughout southeast Minnesota and the Minnesota River Valley have
made it clear that they are deeply concerned about this issue and want their
voices heard.<u class="yiv7556907984">A hearing that shuts out the voices of these
rural Minnesotans while giving time to industry lobbyists is undemocratic and
unfair.</u></span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Therefore, we
request that Tuesday’s hearing be re-scheduled for a future date, at which time
the speaking time provided to citizens will be at least equal to that provided
to corporate interests. If the January 27 hearing does take place, we request
you hold a second hearing devoted to citizen testimony with sufficient advance
notice for rural Minnesotans to participate. </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Sincerely,</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Johanna
Rupprecht</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36813" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Policy
Organizer</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36814" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Land Stewardship
Project</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36815" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Lewiston,
MN</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" id="yiv7556907984yui_3_16_0_1_1422392533367_36816" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">507-523-3366</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Margaret
Walsh</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">LSP
Member</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Winona,
MN</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Bonita
Underbakke</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">LSP
Member</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Lanesboro,
MN</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Marilyn Frauenkron
Bayer</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">LSP
Member</span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Houston,
MN</span></div>
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<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv7556907984" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span class="yiv7556907984" style="font-size: 10.5pt;">cc: Rep. Kurt Daudt,
Speaker of the House; Members of the Mining and Outdoor Recreation Policy
Committee</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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<br clear="none" />FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-56386909739117578572014-12-28T13:58:00.000-08:002014-12-28T13:58:14.111-08:00Everything's Coming Together While Everything Falls Apart<div class="yiv0126178771original-url" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10015">
<a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-solnit/the-climate-for-2015_b_6372150.html" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10014" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-solnit/the-climate-for-2015_b_6372150.html</a><br class="yiv0126178771" clear="none" /><strong class="yiv0126178771" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_15792" style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></strong></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771original-url" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10015">
<strong class="yiv0126178771" style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">The Climate for 2015 </strong></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771" id="yiv0126178771article" style="border-bottom-width: 0px;">
<div class="yiv0126178771page" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10096" style="font-family: Georgia, Palatino, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">
<div class="yiv0126178771" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10971">
<strong class="yiv0126178771" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10975"><em class="yiv0126178771" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10974">Cross-posted with <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175938/tomgram%3A_rebecca_solnit%2C_challenging_the_divine_right_of_big_energy/" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10973" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">TomDispatch.com</a></em></strong></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771" id="yiv0126178771yui_3_16_0_1_1419621892533_10977">
It was
the most thrilling bureaucratic document I’ve ever seen for just one reason: it
was dated the 21st day of the month of Thermidor in the Year Six. Written in
sepia ink on heavy paper, it recorded an ordinary land auction in France in what
we would call the late summer of 1798. But the extraordinary date signaled that
it was created when the French Revolution was still the overarching reality of
everyday life and such fundamentals as the distribution of power and the nature
of government had been reborn in astonishing ways. The new calendar that renamed
1792 as Year One had, after all, been created to start society all over
again.</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
In that little junk shop on a quiet street in San
Francisco, I held a relic from one of the great upheavals of the last
millennium. It made me think of a remarkable statement the great feminist
fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin had made only a few weeks earlier. In the
course of a <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/nov/20/ursula-k-le-guin-national-book-awards-speech" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">speech</a> she gave while accepting a book
award she noted, “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the
divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human
beings.”</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
That document I held was written only a few years after
the French had gotten over the idea that the divine right of kings was an
inescapable reality. The revolutionaries had executed their king for his crimes
and were then trying out other forms of government. It’s popular to say that the
experiment failed, but that’s too narrow an interpretation. France never again
regressed to an absolutist monarchy and its experiments inspired other
liberatory movements around the world (while terrifying monarchs and aristocrats
everywhere).</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<span style="background-color: #ffd966;">Americans are skilled at that combination of
complacency and despair that assumes things cannot change and that we, the
people, do not have the power to change them. </span>Yet you have to be abysmally
ignorant of history, as well as of current events, not to see that our country
and our world have always been changing, are in the midst of great and terrible
changes, and are occasionally changed through the power of the popular will and
idealistic movements. As it happens, the planet’s changing climate now demands
that we summon up the energy to leave behind the Age of Fossil Fuel (and maybe
with it some portion of the Age of Capitalism as well).</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<strong class="yiv0126178771">How to Topple a
Giant</strong></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
To use Le Guin’s language, <span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">physics is inevitable: if
you put more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the planet warms, and as the
planet warms, various kinds of chaos and ruin are let loose. Politics, on the
other hand, is not inevitable. </span>For example, not so many years ago it would have
seemed inevitable that Chevron, currently the third biggest corporation in the
country, would run the refinery town of Richmond, California, as its own private
fiefdom. You could say that the divine right of Chevron seemed like a given.
Except that people in Richmond refused to accept it and so this town of 107,000
mostly poor nonwhites pushed back.</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
In recent years, a group of progressives <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://richmondconfidential.org/2014/11/06/scenes-from-an-upset-at-rpa-headquarters-exhaustion-and-doubt-turn-to-exhilaration/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">won election</a> to the city council and
the mayor’s seat, despite huge expenditures by Chevron, the corporation that
also brought you gigantic oil spills onshore in Ecuador and offshore in Brazil,
massive contamination from half a century of oil extraction in Nigeria, and
Canadian tar-sands bitumen sent by rail to the Richmond refinery. Mayor Gayle
McLaughin and her cohorts organized a little revolution in a town that had
mostly been famous for its crime rate and for Chevron’s toxic refinery
emissions, which <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://richmondconfidential.org/2014/12/18/city-officials-press-ahead-with-lawsuit-following-2012-chevron-refinery-fire/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">periodically</a> create <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.democracynow.org/2013/8/6/chevron_to_pay_2_million_for" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">emergencies</a>, sometimes requiring
everyone to take shelter (and pretend that they are not being poisoned indoors),
sometimes said -- by Chevron -- to be harmless, as with <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/business-headlines/ci_27174056/chevron-refinery-incident-draws-criticism-raises-concerns-about?source=rss" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">last Thursday's flames</a> that lit up the
sky, visible as far away as Oakland. </div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
As McLaughin <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://billmoyers.com/2014/10/30/mayor-gayle-mclaughlin/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">put it</a> of her era as mayor:</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
“We’ve accomplished so much, including breathing better
air, reducing the pollution, and building a cleaner environment and cleaner
jobs, and reducing our crime rate. Our homicide number is the lowest in 33 years
and we became a leading city in the Bay Area for solar installed per capita.
We’re a sanctuary city. And we’re defending our homeowners to prevent
foreclosures and evictions. And we also got Chevron to pay $114 million extra
dollars in taxes.”</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
For this November’s election, the second-largest oil
company on Earth officially spent $3.1 million to defeat McLaughin and other
progressive candidates and install a mayor and council more to its liking. That
sum worked out to about <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.thenation.com/article/191129/what-does-it-take-one-small-city-vanquish-oil-giant" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">$180 per Richmond voter</a>, but my
brother David, who’s long been connected to Richmond politics, points out that,
if you look at all the other ways the company spends to influence local
politics, it might be roughly ten times that.</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
Nonetheless, Chevron lost. None of its candidates were
elected and all the grassroots progressives it fought with billboards, mailers,
television ads, websites, and everything else a lavishly funded smear campaign
can come up with, won.</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
If a small coalition
like that can win locally against a corporation that had revenues of <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://fortune.com/fortune500/chevron-corporation-3/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">$228.9 billion</a> in 2013, imagine what a
large global coalition could do against the fossil-fuel giants. It wasn’t easy
in Richmond and it won’t be easy on the largest scale either, but it’s not
impossible. The Richmond progressives won by imagining that the status quo was
not inevitable, no less an eternal way of life. They showed up to do the work to
dent that inevitability. <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">The billionaires and fossil fuel corporations are
intensely engaged in politics all the time, everywhere, and they count on us to
stay on the sidelines. </span>If you look at their response to various movements, you
can see that they fear the moment we wake up, show up, and exercise our power to
counter theirs. </div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
That power operated on a larger scale last week, when
local activists and public health professionals applied sufficient pressure to
get New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign legislation <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://350.org/press-release/350-org-responds-to-gov-cuomos-fracking-ban-a-huge-win/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">banning fracking</a> statewide. Until the
news broke on December 17th, the outcome had seemed uncertain. It’s a landmark,
a watershed decision: a state has decided that its considerable reserves of
fossil fuel will not be extracted for the foreseeable future, that <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/17/new-york-state-fracking-ban-two-years-public-health" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">other things</a> -- the health of its
people, the purity of its water -- matter more. And once again, the power of
citizens turned out to be greater than that of industry.</div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
Just a few days before the huge victory in New York,
the nations of the world ended their <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://unfccc.int/meetings/lima_dec_2014/meeting/8141.php" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">most recent talks</a> in Lima, Peru, about a global
climate treaty -- and they actually reached a <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30468048" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">tentative deal</a>, one that for the first time asks
all nations, not just the developed ones, to reduce emissions. The agreement has
to get better -- to do more, demand more of every nation -- by the <a class="yiv0126178771" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/15/us-climatechange-lima-idUSKBN0JT0G320141215" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">global climate summit</a> in Paris in
December of 2015. </div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv0126178771">
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">It’s hard to see how we’ll get there from here, but
easy to see that activists and citizens will have to push their nations hard. </span>We
need to end the age of fossil fuels the way the French ended the age of absolute
monarchy. As New York State and the town of Richmond just demonstrated, what is
possible has been changing rapidly. </div>
</div>
</div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-45414497404162419092014-10-10T13:11:00.000-07:002014-10-10T13:11:10.178-07:00Tell Gov. Dayton We Need Tough Frac Sand Restrictions<div style="background-color: #c9e3a8; padding: 5px 10px;">
<a href="http://landstewardshipproject.org/posts/actionalerts" rel="nofollow" style="color: #a84316; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a84316; font-family: Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;">Action Alerts</span></a></div>
<h2 style="padding: 10px 10px 0px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #222222; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tell Gov. Dayton We Need Tough Frac Sand Restrictions</a></h2>
<div style="line-height: 1.3em; padding: 0px 10px;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times; font-size: x-small;">Despite 2013 state legislation directing Minnesota agencies to create air quality standards and improve environmental review for frac sand <img alt="" class="yiv9932174194alignright" src="http://landstewardshipproject.org/cmsimage/1173/preview" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 1em 1em;" />facilities, the regulations are yet to be established.<strong> And we do not have a clear commitment from Governor Mark Dayton</strong> that these rules will be tough and put health, safety and rural communities before frac sand mining interests. This is a critical time to ramp up our efforts to demand that Gov. Dayton uses his authority to create stringent frac sand regulations. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times; font-size: x-small;">Contact Gov. Dayton today at 651-201-3400 or 800-657-3717 and deliver the message that <strong>we need him "all in" when it comes to protecting Minnesota from the frac sand industry.</strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times; font-size: x-small;"> For more information, see LSP's <b><a href="http://landstewardshipproject.org/organizingforchange/fracsandorganizing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frac Sand Organizing web page</a></b> or contact LSP's Bobby King by calling him at 612-722-6377 or sending an <b><a href="mailto:bking@landstewardshipproject.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:bking@landstewardshipproject.org">e-mail</a></b>.</span></div>
</div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-80467929163097118772014-09-28T18:39:00.003-07:002014-09-28T18:39:50.964-07:00Evidence Mounts of Hidden Fracking Hazards<div class="field-wrapper content-container clearfix inline-fields" id="field-wrapper-attribution">
<div class="grouping-prefix">
Published on <span class="date-display-single">Fr</span>day, September 26, 2014 by <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a></div>
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<h1 class="node__title managed-node-title">
Evidence Mounts of Hidden Fracking Hazards</h1>
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"We
need strong state action to protect the public health from yet another
troubling side effect of the unprecedented wave of shale gas
development," environmentalist warns<br />
by<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/author/deirdre-fulton-staff-writer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deirdre Fulton, staff writer</a></div>
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<div class="shareaholic-canvas" data-app-id="6840204" data-app="share_buttons" data-link="http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/26/evidence-mounts-hidden-fracking-hazards" data-summary="" data-title="Evidence Mounts of Hidden Fracking Hazards">
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<img alt="" class="caption-processed" height="500" src="http://www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_large/public/headlines/frackingwells.jpg?itok=BtuP-E7o" width="955" /></div>
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A web of roads, pipelines, and fracking wells. (Photo: Simon Fraser University/flickr/cc)</div>
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A
major report released Thursday exposes a hidden hazard of fracking: the
mining of the special sand—known as 'frac sand,' for short—that is
essential to the practice.<br />
Frac sand mining uses significant volumes of groundwater, contributes
to air pollution, and has negative socio-economic impacts, according
to "<a href="http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org/media/pdfs/092514%20CSI%20BAR%20frac%20sand%20mining%20report%20FINAL2%20-%20EMBARGOED.pdf"><strong><em>Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest</em></strong></a>"
(pdf), produced by the the Civil Society Institute's Boston Action
Research project in cooperation with Environmental Working Group (EWG)
and Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Analysts estimate that fracking operations will use 95 billion pounds
of sand this year, up 30 percent from last year and 50 percent higher
than initial forecasts. The sand, which must be uniform in shape and the
grains able to withstand enormous pressures at great depth underground,
is currently mined most heavily in Wisconsin and Minnesota, though the
report identifies sand deposits in 12 others states (including New York,
North Carolina, Maine, and Virginia) that could be affected as fracking
demand grows. Wisconsin alone is on track to extract 50 million tons of
frac sand a year—the equivalent of 9,000 semi-truck loads a day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="pullquote">
"Citizens living near frac sand mining in Wisconsin are witnessing a massive destruction of their rural landscape."<br />—Kimberlee Wright, Midwest Environmental Advocates</div>
<div class="pullquote">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mining process, which involves blasting off the soil, rock, and
vegetation above a sand deposit, then washing, drying, and storing the
excavated sand, uses between 420 thousand and 2 million gallons of water
per day, according to the report, potentially drawing down groundwater
supplies. In addition, the use of added chemicals when processing the
sand could lead to contaminated run-off in nearby streams and wetlands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even more troubling is the release of fine particulate matter, such
as silica dust, at mining sites and in the surrounding areas. Frac sand
mining produces "very small and very dangerous dust particles," the
report reads, which have been linked to respiratory infections, lung
cancer, and cardiovascular disease. While air samples have shown
particle pollution around mining sites exceeds safe levels, there is
little regulation of these emissions. "[M]onitoring of this rapidly
expanding industry has been outpaced by the rate of development," the
authors note.</span><br />
<br />
"None of the states at the center of the current frac sand mining
boom have adopted air quality standards for silica that will adequately
protect the tens of thousands of people living or working near the
scores of recently opened or proposed mining sites," said EWG's
executive director Heather White. "EWG's mapping research found frac
sand sites in close proximity to schools, hospitals and clinics, where
children and patients may be exposed to airborne silica. Chronic
exposure can lead to emphysema and lung disease. We need strong state
action to protect the public health from yet another troubling side
effect of the unprecedented wave of shale gas development."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other economic impacts are harder to measure but no less important to
consider. The report raises questions about how frac sand mining
operations affect property values, infrastructure costs, and demands on
health care providers, cautioning towns and local communities to
"exercise precaution" when evaluating potential sites in their region.</span><br />
<br />
"Citizens living near frac sand mining in Wisconsin are witnessing a massive destruction of their rural landscape," <a href="http://www.civilsocietyinstitute.org/media/092514release.cfm">said</a>
MEA executive director Kimberlee Wright. "Elected officials and our
states' natural resources protection agency have largely dismissed local
citizens' concerns about their health, the health of their environment
and their quality of life. Without a clearer view of the big picture of
frac sand mining's impact, laws that protect our communities' air and
water aren't being developed or enforced."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other end of the shale gas extraction cycle is no less toxic. A separate peer-reviewed study, <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es5028184">published</a> earlier this week in the American Chemical Society journal <em>Environmental Science and Technology</em>, <a href="http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2014/acs-presspac-september-24-2014/fracking-wastewater-that-is-treated-for-drinking-produces-potentially-harmful-compounds.html">suggests</a> fracking wastewater can endanger drinking water even after it has passed through treatment plants and been diluted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/7007084/study-fracking-wastewater-treatment-doesn-t-make-it-safe-to-drink">According</a> to <em>UPI</em>:</span><br />
<blockquote>
Most fracking operations store their wastewater in
holding ponds. Eventually, that water is filtered through municipal or
commercial treatment plants and emptied into rivers, lakes and ponds.<br />
But
new research suggests that wastewater contaminants, when subjected to
traditional treatment methods like chlorination or ozonation, encourage
toxic byproducts.<br />
Researchers with the American Chemical Society
found that even extremely diluted wastewater can still produce these
byproducts during the treatment process. Scientists say their findings
suggest regulators and energy officials should be more careful about
which surface waters treated wastewater is emptied into.</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scientists and engineers from Duke and Stanford Universities used water samples from Pennsylvania and Arkansas frack sites.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
“The drinking water facilities should be aware of this,” <a href="http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2014/09/26/study-treated-fracking-wastewater-could-still-threaten-drinking-water/">said</a>
Bill Mitch, a lead author on the study and an associate professor of
civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. “You need a lot of
dilution to make these discharges no longer matter.”<br />
<br /></div>
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<b>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License</b></div>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-35670673088358247132014-09-28T18:35:00.001-07:002014-09-28T18:35:37.237-07:00NATIONAL report - very important that this information be distributed to all governmental officials, and to all citizens across the nation. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thorough NATIONAL report produced as a joint effort by Civil Society
Institute, Midwest Environmental Advocates, and Environmental Working Group was
released today at noon. It is very important that this information be
distributed to all governmental officials, all newspaper and news media
personnel, and to all citizens across the nation. I was unable to send out the
news release from Boston because of a computer problem, but all references can
be found at this site.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" /><a href="http://www.americancleanenergyagenda.org/new-frac-sand-mining-report-details-health-environmental-and-economic-harms/" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank">http://www.americancleanenergyagenda.org/new-frac-sand-mining-report-details-health-environmental-and-economic-harms/</a><br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Links to all the resources can be found at this site
including the map based links from <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-0">EWG</span> and references at <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-1">MEA</span>. Please take a
look at these well documented resources. Look for the address for a buffering
replay of the press conference held at noon on Sept. 25. It is noted on the
above link.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />
</span><br />
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Report coauthor Grant Smith, senior energy policy
adviser, Civil Society Institute, said: <b>“</b></span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The rapid expansion in the United States of oil and
shale gas drilling, including hydraulic fracturing, has a hidden side filled
with problems: the mining of the special sand that is essential to <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-2">fracking</span> a drilled
well. As this report makes clear, it is essential that local and
state governments assess and take action based on the impacts of the full cycle
of shale oil and gas drilling, including <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-3">frac</span> sand mining. Health, water,
and other economic concerns should be addressed comprehensively, rather than
being ignored or dismissed. Protecting public health and safety is the first
responsibility of government.”</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085yqt3884899334" id="yiv0914031085yqtfd03230">
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-4">EWG</span> Executive Director Heather White said:
<b>“</b></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #3c3c3c; font-size: 10pt;">None of the states at
the center of the current <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-5">frac</span> sand mining boom have adopted air quality
standards for silica that will adequately protect the tens of thousands of
people living or working near the scores of recently opened or proposed mining
sites. <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-6">EWG</span>’s
mapping research found <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-7">frac</span> sand sites in close proximity to schools,
hospitals and clinics, where children and patients may be exposed to airborne
silica. Chronic exposure can lead to emphysema and lung disease. We need strong
state action to protect the public health from yet another troubling side effect
of the unprecedented wave of shale gas development.</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">”</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-8">MEA</span> Executive Director Kimberlee Wright said:
<b>“Citizens living near <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-9">frac</span> sand mining in Wisconsin are witnessing a
massive destruction of their rural landscape. Elected officials and our states'
natural resources protection agency have largely dismissed local citizens'
concerns about their health, the health of their environment and their quality
of life. Without a clearer view of the big picture of <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-10">frac</span> sand mining's
impact, laws that protect our communities' air and water aren't being developed
or enforced.”</b></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085Normal1">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Key concerns about <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-11">frac</span> sand mining outlined in the report include
the following:</span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 25.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Water
issues.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Individual mining
operations withdraw between 420 thousand and 2 million gallons per day. The
volume of water used is significant, and added chemicals to process the sand
compound water related problems with sand mining. <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-12">Polyacrylamide</span>, a
<span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-13">flocculent</span>,
that encourages clumping of particles to remove impurities from the sand is used
at mining and processing operations. It contains traces of <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-14">acrylamide</span> and can
break down into <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-15">acrylamide</span>, a <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-16">neurotoxin</span> and known carcinogen, and can enter
groundwater or surface water from <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-17">wastewater</span> ponds at mining operations or from
piles of processed sand ready to be transported. There is also increasing
concern with acid mine runoff from operating and reclaimed <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-18">frac</span> sand
mines.<b> </b></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 25.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 25.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Health
issues.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Silica dust is of great
concern to people living near <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-19">frac</span> sand operations. The smallest particles of
dust (2.5 microns, a fraction of the width of a human hair) cause the greatest
damage to the lungs. This is due to the fact that smaller particles can evade
the body’s natural defense mechanisms and penetrate deeper into the lungs, and
even into the bloodstream. Crystalline silica dust, generally around 4 microns
in diameter or less, is also especially harmful. Prolonged
exposure to <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-20">frac</span> sand can lead to silicosis of the lungs and
is thought to be a lung carcinogen. This is particularly troubling for people
living in proximity to multiple <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-21">frac</span> sand mines as well as elderly people or
families with young children as these populations may be more susceptible to
disease. Additionally, people with silicosis are at high risk for
developing tuberculosis. Crystalline silica exposure has been
linked with other lung ailments as well, including emphysema and bronchitis. It
has also been linked with a variety of autoimmune diseases, such as <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-22">scleroderma</span>, lupus,
rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-23">hemolytic</span> anemia, chronic <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-24">thyroiditis</span>,
hyperthyroidism, and to kidney-related diseases, such as chronic renal disease,
and those with high exposure are more likely to die from renal
disease.</span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 33pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 25.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Financial
issues.</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Economic harms are seen as
a result of <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-25">frac</span> sand mining including potential loss of
nearby real estate values of up to 25 percent and decreased lifespan for roads
and other infrastructure, which carry a substantial replacement cost. Even
though Minnesota state law allows counties to levy a 15-cent per ton aggregate
extraction tax to help offset the costs of road repair, many counties choose not
to. Additionally, the Minnesota Local Research Board found that 22 cents per
ton-mile would be a more accurate amount to cover the costs.</span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Commenting on
the health aspects of the report, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-26">Crispin</span> Pierce, PhD,
associate professor and program director, Environmental Public Health Program,
University of Wisconsin-<span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-27">Eau</span> Claire, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">said: <b>“Our
research group has tested the air around <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-28">frac</span> sand plants over the last five years and
found elevated levels of fine airborne particulates including silica in
neighboring communities. We are concerned about potential increases in
cardiovascular disease, premature death, and lung cancer.<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>Our state regulator,
the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is requiring less than 10 percent
of the 140 <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-29">frac</span>
sand operations in the state to monitor their emissions, and even then not
requiring monitoring of the particulates of most concern, including silica.”
</b></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silica, or silicon dioxide, is a chemical compound that
is most commonly found in nature as quartz. Crystalline silica is
an <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-30">ultrafine</span>
particle that occurs when silica is crushed, exploded, drilled or chipped, as
occurs during silica mining. Crystalline silica can be ingested
through breathing, allowing the particles to become lodged in the lungs. In
addition to the danger posed to miners and pad workers, <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-31">frac</span> sand also
carries a potential risk to residents near mining sites, along transport routes,
and for the transport crews who move the cargo. Intense exposure to crystalline
silica can cause silicosis within a year, but it usually takes at least 10-15
years of exposure before symptoms occur. </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Among those concerned about the health impacts are
Victoria <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-32">Trinko</span>, a family farmer from Bloomer, Wisconsin
in Chippewa County less than a mile from a <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-33">frac</span> sand mining operation, said:
“I <b>am a retired speech clinician raising beef cattle on the farm my
father bought in 1936. I am also the clerk of the Town of Cooks
Valley. I have lived on the family farm most of my life. The third
sand company in the Town of Cooks Valley began construction and operation in the
spring of 2011 and is located within one half mile northwest of my farm … In
April of 2012 within 9 months of the construction of this silica sand mine, I
developed an intermittent sore throat and raspy voice. In
September of 2012, I visited my doctor who referred me to a pulmonary
specialist. In October 2012, I was diagnosed with asthma due to my environment
and use an inhalant and nasal spray twice a day to alleviate my breathing
symptoms.”</b></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
outlining a wide variety of possible industry, state and local responses to the
impacts of <span class="yiv0914031085mark" id="yiv0914031085misspell-34">frac</span>
sand mining, the report notes: “Perhaps the best response to the
rapid expansion of shale gas extraction is to take a step back and view the
entire shale gas fuel cycle more holistically. The questions, if properly
posed, can assist us in defining the issues, challenges, and consequences of the
shale gas fuel cycle. They will also help answer whether or not the shale gas
revolution is of benefit to all of us or just some of us, and determine the
long-term viability of the shale-gas economy. In pursuing this exercise, the
scope of questions should not remain at some national or geopolitical strategic
level.” </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0914031085MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The report
continues: “Rather, they should also address the consequences of
the shale gas fuel cycle for people at the local level including the
consequences for their property, their businesses, their cultural values and way
of life, their health, their access to adequate supplies of clean water, the
impact on local infrastructure, as well as the sustainability of their
community’s economy in the near- and long-term. Of course, such questions
should have been posed long ago. Powerful economic forces are churning ahead
without pause or consideration of the implications of shale gas extraction for
our country and our citizens.” </span></span></div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-56987158469779443832014-08-09T21:29:00.000-07:002014-08-24T21:29:30.986-07:00Wall Street Journal article: "Demand for Sand Takes Off Thanks to Fracking--Companies Race to Build New Mines as Prices Rise"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Demand for Sand Takes Off Thanks to Fracking--Companies
Race to Build New Mines as Prices Rise"</i><br /><br />Frackers are expected to use
<b>nearly 95 billion pounds of sand this year.</b> A sand mine in Garnavillo, Iowa.
Stephen Mally for The Wall Street Journal<br /><br />Sand prices are rising and
companies are racing to build new mines in South Dakota and other locations as
demand intensifies for the silica crystals that energy companies use to frack
oil and gas wells.<br /><br />Sand is a key ingredient in items from solar panels to
smartphones, but in recent years billions of pounds of it have been poured down
wells to help coax more fuel out of the ground. In hydraulic fracturing, sand is
mixed in a slurry of water and chemicals, then pumped down a hole to crack open
dense rocks so oil and gas can escape to the surface.<br /><br />Frackers are
expected to use nearly 95 billion pounds of sand this year, up nearly 30% from
2013 and up 50% from forecasts made by energy-consulting firm PacWest Consulting
Partners a year ago.<br /><br />It can take four million pounds of sand to frack a
single well, but several companies are experimenting with using more. Companies
like Pioneer Natural Resources Inc., PXD -5.32% which recently received a ruling
from the U.S. Commerce Department allowing it to export unrefined ultralight oil
produced from shale formations, are finding that the output of wells is up to
30% higher when they're blasted with more sand. About a fifth of onshore wells
are now being fracked with extra sand, but the technique could expand to 80% of
all shale wells, according to energy analysts at RBC Capital
Markets.<br /><br /><br /><br />That's great news for sand miners, but it's heating up
competition between energy buyers and other big industrial users.<br /><br />U.S.
Silica Holdings Inc., SLCA -1.17% one of the largest industrial-sand companies,
has already raised prices for some frack sand, and it said recently that it
would also start charging 10% to 20% more for the finer grades of sand typically
used to make glass and various industrial products as it diverts some of this
supply to oil producers. The best sand is dubbed Northern White because the
round crystal, which can withstand serious heat and pressure underground, is
found in states like Wisconsin and Minnesota. The company expects demand for
sand will be at least 25% higher than supply for the rest of this
year.<br /><br />"Northern White is in short supply, so people are using basically
whatever they can get their hands on to complete their wells," said Michael
Lawson, a spokesman for U.S. Silica.<br /><br />Oil companies' insatiable appetite
has even generated renewed interest in second-tier deposits of lower-quality
brown sand in places like Texas and Arkansas.<br /><br />Preferred Sands, which
announced last month it has received backing from private-equity firm KKR KKR
-0.81% & Co., plans to increase sand production by next summer with new and
expanded mines in places like Wisconsin and Minnesota, said Chief Executive
Michael O'Neill, though he added that it's becoming tough to find available
railcars to move the sand from mines to oil fields.<br /><br />Jamie Weinstein,
co-head of KKR's special solutions team, said the trend toward using more sand
per well will mean sand producers will keep growing. The firm is extending $680
million in debt and equity to Preferred Sands to restructure the company's
balance sheet.<br /><br />"We believe the incremental demand for sand over time is
only going to increase," Mr. Weinstein said.<br /><br />Frack-sand producers are hot
stocks. Emerge Energy Services EMES +0.48% LP was last year's most successful
public offering, according to Dealogic, with a share price that has shot up 558%
since its debut. Investors want more. They may get it from private-equity-backed
Fairmount Minerals, a major U.S. sand miner, which has enlisted bankers to
explore an IPO, according to people familiar with the matter.<br /><br />Laura
Fulton, chief financial officer of Hi-Crush Partners L.P., is predicting another
5%-to-10% increase in sand prices before year's end. Hi-Crush recently signed
seven new long-term contracts at higher prices—and for greater volumes—with
oil-field service firms including Halliburton Co. HAL -3.22% , which help
exploration outfits pump more oil and gas.<br /><br />"There's really no limit on
the demand side," she said.<br /><br />But there are growing restraints on sand
supplies. By the end of this year, new and expanded mines capable of producing
10 million pounds of sand annually will be up and running, but future projects
could face delays, Cowen & Co. analyst Marc Bianchi said.<br /><br />Dozens of
new sand-mine permits were issued over the last three to four years in places
like Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois, triggering a massive public backlash
about the truck traffic, dust and breathing problems these operations can
create. Now many state and county-level health officials are trying to slow the
sector's expansion.<br /><br />A few companies are skirting those efforts by teaming
up with towns hungry for jobs and tax dollars, as well as more regulatory
control. In Wisconsin, the cities of Independence and White Hall last year
annexed land in Trempealeau County so that Hi-Crush could move ahead with its
new mine. Those cities' zoning rules governing sand operations supersede the
county's regulations, including its temporary ban on permits, so Hi- Crush's
site can go into service later this year. Local officials in Minnesota and
Illinois are taking similar steps.<br /><br />As the good sand becomes increasingly
difficult to find, one company is turning next door to South Dakota. Pat Galvin
is chief executive of South Dakota Proppants LLC, which aims to resurrect a
1950s-era mine on federal lands about 40 miles from Mount Rushmore. Located in
the Black Hills National Forest, the abandoned mine is filled with the same type
of high-quality sand frackers have come to count on, and it could generate up to
one million tons annually, he said.<br /><br />The company is getting ready to pull
together an environmental-impact statement to present to the federal government,
which controls the site. But oil companies are already asking about supply
contracts, Mr. Galvin said. The proximity to fracking operations in North
Dakota's Bakken formation and Colorado's Niobrara Shale could trim delivery
costs by as much as $50 a ton, he said.<br /><br />The South Dakota site has another
key advantage: no neighbors. And shipments can be routed to avoid tourists
bustling around Mount Rushmore.<br /><br />"We're in the middle of nowhere compared
to Wisconsin, where you've got farming and everything else going on," Mr. Galvin
said.<br /><br />—Ryan Dezember contributed to this article.<br /><br />Write to Alison
Sider at <a href="mailto:alison.sider@wsj.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:alison.sider@wsj.com">alison.sider@wsj.com</a></span>FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-7866749082163426012014-06-01T14:51:00.004-07:002014-06-01T14:51:50.351-07:00New York Fracking Opponents call for a moratorium of 3-5 years!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">******************<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><st1:state><st1:place><b><span style="font-size: 15pt;">New York</span></b></st1:place></st1:state><b><span style="font-size: 15pt;"> Fracking Opponents call for a moratorium of 3-5 years!<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20140529/ny-fracking-opponents-call-for-moratorium-of-3-to-5-years#disqus_thread">http://www.dailyfreeman.com/general-news/20140529/ny-fracking-opponents-call-for-moratorium-of-3-to-5-years#disqus_thread</a><b><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have your property values decreased? See the attached for assistance in working through assessment values with local/county/state officials!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-35644555824415107422014-06-01T14:51:00.001-07:002014-06-01T14:52:14.059-07:00Total SA suspends $11B Joslyn oil sands mine in Alberta, lays off up to 150 staff<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;">***************</span><b><span style="font-size: 48pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good news concerning the Joslyn Mine in <st1:state><st1:place>Alberta</st1:place></st1:state>, <st1:country-region><st1:place>Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Joslyn is facing the same challenge that most of the industry worldwide is in the sense that the costs are continuing to inflate when the oil price and specifically the netbacks from the oil sands are remaining stable at best,” he said. <span style="background: yellow;">That is squeezing margins and “cannot be sustainable in the long-term.”</span></span></div>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-weight: normal;">Total SA suspends $11B Joslyn oil sands mine in </span><st1:state><st1:place><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-weight: normal;">Alberta</span></st1:place></st1:state><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-weight: normal;">, lays off up to 150 staff </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.windsorstar.com/business/fp/Total+suspends+Joslyn+sands+mine+Alberta+lays+staff/9889319/story.html">http://www.windsorstar.com/business/fp/Total+suspends+Joslyn+sands+mine+Alberta+lays+staff/9889319/story.html</a></span></span></h1>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-91309565843680025642014-06-01T14:50:00.004-07:002014-06-01T14:50:42.113-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WORKER DEATHS<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Workers Memorial Day, a new post on The Pump Handle about the second worker fatality of 2014 for Canada's oil sands company, Suncor:<br /><a href="http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/2014/04/28/second-2014-worker-fatality-at-suncor-alberta-oil-sands-facility-highlights-alarming-industry-death-rate/">http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/2014/04/28/second-2014-worker-fatality-at-suncor-alberta-oil-sands-facility-highlights-alarming-industry-death-rate/</a><br /><br />The industry, according to records available through Alberta Occupational Health and Safety, suggest the provinces oil and gas extraction industry – which Alberta's energy agency says provides 1 in 16 of the province's jobs – has an alarmingly high rate of occupational fatalities -- on average over the past five years, about a third of those incidents on record with Alberta OHS. <st1:state>Alberta</st1:state> is where most of <st1:country-region>Canada</st1:country-region>'s oil reserves are located and where oil sands extraction was pioneered.<br />Please feel free to share and repost, and thanks as always for reading ~ Lizzie</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elizabeth Grossman<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">office & cell: 503-704-5637<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:lizziegrossman@mac.com">lizziegrossman@mac.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">skype: lizzie.grossman<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.elizabethgrossman.com/Elizabeth_Grossman/Home.html">http://www.elizabethgrossman.com/Elizabeth_Grossman/Home.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We don’t always hear about worker deaths; and certainly we have no way of knowing of citizen health issues of those living and working around mines, processing plants, and trans-load facilities, but it is atrocious to know that particulates are frequently being reported by citizens at their residences both in the City and the rural areas at distances from the facilities. We ask for transparency in reporting all deaths related to the mining industry!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-49069112425884432892014-06-01T14:50:00.000-07:002014-06-01T14:50:10.214-07:00OIL TRAINS AFFECTING MANY STATES<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><st1:stockticker><b><span style="font-size: 15pt;">OIL</span></b></st1:stockticker><b><span style="font-size: 15pt;"> TRAINS AFFECTING MANY STATES<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE ARTICLES BELOW PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You will find the information below pretty shocking. It shows the linkages between the tar sands, Bakken Crude Oil, and oil from the East to West Coast via rails, terminals, etc. It is not complete but we have discovered more terminals along the way for both CP and BNSF. Many of you are connected to hydraulic fracturing, frac sand mining, processing facilities, terminals, rails etc. Overlay this activity with the pipeline activity and you will realize there would be few people not impacted by the dirty oil industry in some way. (Guy Wolf)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">28 May 2014<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lorne Stockman, <a href="mailto:lorne@priceofoil.org" target="_blank">lorne@priceofoil.org</a>, <a href="tel:540-679-1097" target="_blank">540-679-1097</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Turnbull, <a href="mailto:david@priceofoil.org" target="_blank">david@priceofoil.org</a>, <a href="tel:202-316-3499" target="_blank">202-316-3499</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">New Report Outlines the Rise of Crude-by-Rail in </span></b><st1:place><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">North America</span></b></st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">First Major Analysis of Booming Bomb Train Industry</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Today Oil Change International released the first major exposé of the burgeoning crude-by-rail industry in </span><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;">North America</span></st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, detailing where crude trains are being loaded and unloaded, how many oil trains are crossing the North American continent, and what companies are involved.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://priceofoil.org/content/uploads/2014/05/OCI_Runaway_Train_Single_reduce.pdf" target="_blank">Runaway Train: The Reckless Expansion of Crude By Rail in North America </a>is the first in a series, exposing North America’s booming crude-by-rail industry. It is published in conjunction with the launch of a unique interactive online map of crude-by-rail terminals and potential routes in </span><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;">North America</span></st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The report and map can be found at <a href="http://www.priceofoil.org/rail" target="_blank">www.priceofoil.org/rail</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“This analysis shows just how out of control the oil industry is in </span><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;">North America</span></st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> today. Regulators are unable to keep up with the industry’s expansion-at-any-cost mentality, and public safety is playing second fiddle to industry profits,” said Lorne Stockman, Research Director of Oil Change International and author of the report.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This is what the All of the Above Energy Strategy looks like – a runaway train headed straight for North American communities,” Stockman said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The report shows that there are currently over 230 crude-by-rail terminals in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Canada</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> and the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt;">United States</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> either in operation, expanding, under construction or planned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, one million barrels of crude oil per day is loaded and unloaded on the North American rail network, meaning roughly 135 trains of 100 cars each are moving dangerous crude oil each day through the continent. But if used at full capacity, existing loading and unloading terminals could handle 3.5 times more crude-by-rail traffic and by 2016 that capacity could grow to over 5 times current levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Communities are already waking up to the dangers of oil trains barreling through their backyards, with spills, explosions and derailments happening all too often. This report and online tool will help provide the critical information that’s been sorely missing in order to shine a light on what’s really going on, and to help stop the runaway train of crude-by-rail in its tracks before more damage is done,” Stockman said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The oil industry is simultaneously pushing both new pipelines and increased crude-by-rail on the North American public and recent pipeline spills and train accidents show that the neither is safe. Spills from both transport methods are on the rise.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This report comes ahead of a nation-wide week of action planned for July 6 – 13 in opposition to oil by rail organized by Oil Change International, ForestEthics, <a href="http://350.org/" target="_blank">350.org</a>, the Sierra Club, residents of Lac-Mégantic, and a number of other organizations. See more at <a href="http://www.stopoiltrains.org/" target="_blank">www.stopoiltrains.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Future reports in this series by <a href="http://priceofoil.org/" target="_blank">Oil Change International</a> will look at the economics of crude-by-rail, safety, and climate change issues. Please see <a href="http://www.priceofoil.org/rail" target="_blank">www.priceofoil.org/rail</a> for the map and links to reports and data.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lorne Stockman<br />Research Director<br />Oil Change International<br />714 G Street SE, Suite 202<br />Washington, DC 20003</span><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 11pt;">P: <a href="tel:1%20540%20679%201097" target="_blank">1 540 679 1097</a><br />W: <a href="http://www.priceofoil.org/" target="_blank">priceofoil.org</a> -- </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://refineryreport.org/" target="_blank">refineryreport.org/</a></span><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">FB: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/priceofoil" target="_blank">/priceofoil</a><br />T: <a href="https://twitter.com/priceofoil" target="_blank">@priceofoil</a> -- <a href="https://twitter.com/LorneStockman" target="_blank">@LorneStockman</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-90583000533992014502014-06-01T14:45:00.000-07:002014-06-01T14:45:00.970-07:00Results for Proposed Initiative #75<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14.079999923706055px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$0:0">You can read a summary of the proposition at the Colorado Sec of State </span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14.079999923706055px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14.079999923706055px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$0:0">webiste</span><a class="" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Initiatives/titleBoard/results/2013-2014/75Results.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.sos.state.co.us/.../2013-2014/75Results.html</a></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14.079999923706055px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14.079999923706055px;">- </span><span data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14.079999923706055px;"><a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_3" class="UFICommentActorName" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1428109350737765&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22ufi%22%7D" data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.$author.0" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Community-Rights-Alliance-of-Winneshiek-County/1428109350737765" id="js_4" style="background-color: #d1d5e5; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 208, 224); color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin: -1px -1px -2px -3px; padding: 0px 2px 1px; text-decoration: none;">Community Rights Alliance of Winneshiek County</a></span><span data-reactid=".g.1:3:1:$comment1493574197524613_1493574714191228:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:0" style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14.079999923706055px;"> </span></span>FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-42980229516516727442014-03-04T06:45:00.003-08:002014-03-04T06:45:48.583-08:00That’s code words for “take your time, we’re in no hurry to see anything accomplished. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Minesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is in charge of organizing the three rulemakings mandated by last year’s silica sand bill, and it’s really not that complicated — narrow specific issues. From the Session Law, <a href="http://legalectric.org/weblog/10205/" target="_blank"><b>here’s what they’re supposed to do.</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do notice that each directive for rulemaking says that “The rulemaking is exempt from Minnesota Statutes, section 14.125.“ That’s code words for “take your time, we’re in no hurry to see anything accomplished. Dawdle, go around in circles, fall down, and get lost along the way…” Folks, that’s just what we’re experiencing in this rulemaking process, molasses on a cold day in hell.</span>FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-40450025970134538592014-03-04T06:40:00.000-08:002014-03-04T06:47:21.537-08:00Silica Sand Rulemaking MIA -- Why we can NOT afford to be complacent at this time.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The work of an Advisory Committee is to review and comment on the draft, which
moves through various iterations before going to the agency board &
Commissioner for release as a draft rule for comment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Can't do the work if the
draft isn't there. </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's that simple...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carol A. Overland - Legalectric </span><br />
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Last year's legislation has proven to be lots of wishful thinking and little
enforceable regulation of silica sand mining. The state did not enact a
moratorium, there's no Generic Environmental Impact Statement, nor a requirement
for an Environmental Impact Statement for individual sand mine permit
applications, and we're waiting for the nominal narrow rules and the optional
model Standards and Criteria. Now another legislative session is upon us,
legislators are touring their districts and preparing for elections, so now's
the time to let the legislators know that last year's placating "compromise"
doesn't cut it, that it's compromised the public interest, and we deserve and
expect better. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The people expect reasonable regulation of silica sand mining.</b>FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-80556272126775440292014-03-04T06:38:00.000-08:002014-03-04T06:40:48.211-08:00It's coming up on a year since Minnesota's Silica Sand legislation was passed -- what do we have to show for it?<div style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
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Dear Friends and
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Although most of you have requested only
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Wishing you well,</div>
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Bonita</div>
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The question/demand participants in the Advisory Committee
should have for the MPCA is simple:<big><big><b><br />
</b></big></big><big><big><b>WHERE'S THE DRAFT RULE?</b></big></big></div>
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The work of an Advisory Committee is to review and comment on the draft,
which moves through various iterations before going to the agency board &
Commissioner for release as a draft rule for comment. Can't do the work if the
draft isn't there.<br />
It's that simple...<br />
Carol</div>
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<h1 style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 40px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 50px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
The
people expect regulation!</h1>
<br />
<h3 style="color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
A
year later, there's been lots of talk, but little action. Enforceable
regulation? HA! ... yet it's anything but funny...</h3>
<br />
Last year's
legislation has proven to be lots of wishful thinking and little enforceable
regulation of silica sand mining. The state did not enact a moratorium, there's
no Generic Environmental Impact Statement, nor a requirement for an
Environmental Impact Statement for individual sand mine permit applications, and
we're waiting for the nominal narrow rules and the optional model Standards and
Criteria. Now another legislative session is upon us, legislators are touring
their districts and preparing for elections, so now's the time to let the
legislators know that last year's placating "compromise" doesn't cut it, that
it's compromised the public interest, and we deserve and expect better. The
people expect reasonable regulation of silica sand mining.<br />
<br />
Find links to
primary documents and statutes here on Legalectric:<br />
<br />
<h2 style="color: #404040; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://legalectric.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=668a8905e04be1635a1207bec&id=4dd9ff1c59&e=733d40f6cf" rel="nofollow" style="color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank" title="Permanent
Link to
Someone
explain
rulemaking to
the MPCA">Someone explain rulemaking to the
MPCA</a></h2>
<br />
The Minnesota legislature has begun, a short session this year,
and a budget session, not policy. Where are the laws and regulations we
expected to regulate silica sand mining? Stalled out. We've been to meeting
after meeting, and there are no Standards and Criteria, and these were only
models anyway, optional examples for local governments to adopt. It's been
taken off the EQB agenda, and I'm reminded of the way the EQB didn't want to
address nuclear waste in Florence Township and took it off the agenda, and then
just stopped holding meetings! Deja vu all over again? Will this really be on
the next EQB Agenda and will action be taken?<br />
<br />
And then there's
rulemaking! Oh my... There were only three narrow areas to enact rules, it's
not like they have to reinvent the wheel, but the effort, lead by the MPCA, has
been one of resistance and failure to produce. First they objected to
expectations to form an Advisory Committee for input into the draft. Then, once
ordered to form Advisory Committee, rather than be prepared to talk turkey and
produce a draft to discuss, they lead the group on a wild goose chase with
literally TONS of "background information" that's enough to gag a policy wonk
(background info and links here:<a href="http://legalectric.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=668a8905e04be1635a1207bec&id=38d19d5ed4&e=733d40f6cf" rel="nofollow" style="color: #6dc6dd;" target="_blank" title="Permanent
Link to
Someone
explain
rulemaking to
the MPCA">Someone explain rulemaking to the
MPCA</a>)<br />
<br />
I've participated in more than a few rulemakings over the last
20 years, including very intense ones reworking two chapters of utility regs, a
decade ago and another now ongoing, and this silica sand rulemaking does not cut
it. We need draft language to discuss now, at the beginning, with fresh
iterations after input at Committee meetings.<br />
<br />
The MPCA has produced two
process flow charts in their "background information," neither of which even
show "Advisory Committee" as part of the process. What?? Although that
perspective is not really surprising, given the MPCA staff argued in comments to
the EQB that they couldn't imagine what benefit an Advisory Committee could
provide. Get a clue -- Advisory Committees are authorized by statute and the
purpose is to get the public involved at the front end and have a purpose -- to
gather input on a draft and work towards consensus so the agency can then
release for comment a workable rule (rulemaking law says that an agency can't
adopt something that's substantially different from what's been released for
comment, hence the need to do the work up front, before the draft is released).
The Advisory Committee has met once, and is soon meeting again. I've checked
with staff and they have no intention of bringing draft language to this SECOND
meeting for discussion. WHAT? Draft language should be distributed before the
first meeting to give folks time to chew on it and be productive right out the
gate. Revised draft language should be presented at every Committee meeting for
review and comment.<br />
<br />
The MPCA apparently doesn't do rulemaking the way
other state agencies do (for example, in the Greenhouse Gas rule, they didn't
even give proper notice and admitted it on the record!). The agency should
encourage input, understand the concern, and seriously consider whether and how
to address it in the proposed rules. It's to their advantage to do so to come
up with an acceptable rule. MPCA, get with it and open this process up to
MEANINGFUL public participation.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, it looks to me as if
they're going to manipulate the process -- take their sweet time, as invited to
by the legislative exception to Minn. Stat. 14.125, and then, if the law isn't
changed this session to eliminate the rulemaking and they then do have to move
rules forward, that they'll continue to hold these nonproductive
kaffee-klatsches, and yammer a bit, and then having dodged public input, MPCA
will bring the draft directly to the MPCA Board for release for comment, without
getting any substantive on-point feedback from the Advisory Group beforehand
regarding the draft. Then the "rule" will be released for comment, it will be
horrible, there will be lots of public push-back, and everyone throws up their
hands and says, "See, we couldn't and shouldn't try to regulate silica sand!"
That's the trajectory I see, and I don't like it one bit.<br />
<br />
Hey, MPCA,
prove me wrong! I hope that you'll decide to do it differently and utilize the
Advisory Committee as you should. Enough of the "make work" meetings -- bring
draft language on the three narrow issues for rulemaking to the Committee for
review. Disclose your draft rules! Get substantive feedback on what rules
you're proposing!<br />
<br />
And for those of you in Minnesota and Wisconsin --
don't forget -- now is the time to tell your legislators that you expect
regulation of silica sand mining operations. Hold their feet to the fire.
Enough of this dodging and weaving!</div>
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<br />
<blockquote type="cite">
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<div>
On Mar 3, 2014, at 9:43 AM, Carol A. Overland - Legalectric wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<span class="yiv4446350549Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"></span><br />
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<span class="yiv4446350549Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><img src="http://legalectric.us7.list-manage.com/track/open.php?u=668a8905e04be1635a1207bec&id=4e0061bc0d&e=733d40f6cf" height="1" style="border-width: 0px; outline-style: none;" width="1" /></span></div>
<span class="yiv4446350549Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</span></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<pre class="yiv4446350549moz-signature">--
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent
about the things that matter." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Carol A. Overland
Attorney at Law
Legalectric - Overland Law Office
1110 West Avenue
Red Wing, MN 55066
612-227-8638
<a class="yiv4446350549moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:overland@legalectric.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:overland@legalectric.org">overland@legalectric.org</a>
<a class="yiv4446350549moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.legalectric.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.legalectric.org/</a>
<a class="yiv4446350549moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.nocapx2020.info/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nocapx2020.info/</a>
<a class="yiv4446350549moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.not-so-great-northern-transmission-line.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.not-so-great-northern-transmission-line.org/</a></pre>
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FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-902469964611672982.post-27870195638676794442014-03-04T06:33:00.002-08:002014-03-04T06:33:25.442-08:00Letters in Post-Bulletin Strongly Favor Moratorium. How to spread the word<div class="yiv4714624933yahoo_quoted" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> How to submit your letter as a comment if
it was unpublished:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We did it!
We let the Rochester Post-Bulletin know that citizens want Gov. Dayton to enact
a two year moratorium on frac sand mining in southeast Minnesota. <u>Now let’s
spread the message wider. </u></span></b></span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The letters poured into the Rochester
Post-Bulletin calling for a two year moratorium on frac sand mining. Of the
twenty-one printed all but one were in favor of a moratorium or ban! Read them
here: <a href="http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/your-turn-should-dayton-impose-moratorium-on-frac-sand-mines/article_255aadfa-ef5f-596f-a297-18e33ba2e0dc.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Your Turn: Should Dayton impose moratorium on frac
sand mines?</a> <b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How to spread the message wider.</span></span></u></b></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.
If they did not print your letter. Go <a href="http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/your-turn-should-dayton-impose-moratorium-on-frac-sand-mines/article_255aadfa-ef5f-596f-a297-18e33ba2e0dc.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">online</a> and enter it as a comment on the page. We
know that many, many letters did not get printed.</span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.
Email the link to the Governor and your state legislators with a
short note along these lines: “It’s clear that southeast Minnesotans know that
frac sand mining is bad for our community and want a moratorium.<span style="color: #1f497d;">. </span>Southeast Minnesota needs protections NOW
but state regulations are over a year away from being implemented. Please, take
the time to read the letters printed in the Rochester Post-Bulletin on the issue
here: <a href="http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/your-turn-should-dayton-impose-moratorium-on-frac-sand-mines/article_255aadfa-ef5f-596f-a297-18e33ba2e0dc.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/your-turn-should-dayton-impose-moratorium-on-frac-sand-mines/article_255aadfa-ef5f-596f-a297-18e33ba2e0dc.html</a>.
” You can email the Governor <a href="http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE.</a> You can get the email for your state
legislators <a href="http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3.
Share the Rochester Post-Bulletin page on social media.</span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bobby King</span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Land Stewardship Project</span></div>
<div class="yiv4714624933MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">612-722-6377</span></div>
</div>
</div>
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</div>
</div>
</div>
FC Frac Sand Mininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417644357574961093noreply@blogger.com0