Area frac-sand mining is hot topic of concern

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TOWN OF CLIFTON--Not only did Clifton residents pack the town’s regular August meeting to voice concerns about frac-sand mining, but many Town of Oak Grove residents also showed up to give input.

The Clifton Town Board passed a law declaring a moratorium on the expansion of existing or creation of new nonmetallic mining operations within the town.

This means no new mines can be created and no current mining operations can expand until the town has a chance to study the impact of these operations.

The moratorium will allow the town nine months to study the possible impacts of nonmetallic mining operations and their processing plants on the health, safety and welfare of residents.

This includes air and water quality concerns, potential impact to the town’s infrastructure, property values and the local economy.

This also allows the town and its residents time to consider amending the Town Comprehensive Plan, and the opportunity to consider enacting zoning or other regulatory ordinances concerning nonmetallic mining.

What has sparked this moratorium is the growing use of frac-sand mining in Western Wisconsin. Frac sand is high quality sand that’s uniform in size and nearly pure quartz, which means it doesn’t disintegrate easily when pumped from underground.

For more please read the Aug. 15 print version of the Herald.

Tags: local government, news, wisconsin, government