Friday, September 26, 2014

A Personal Account of the Impact of Frac Sand Mining



From the YouTube description:
Small business owner, Brenda Tabor-Adams, lives with her husband and 2-year-old son in a silica frac sand mining district between New Auburn and Chetek, WI. They are surrounded by mines. Two separate facilities are within a third of a mile and three more are within one mile of her once-quiet, rural property. In addition, several more mines are proposed or already operating nearby. Brenda's clients now compete with 1,000 sand trucks per day, or 20 trucks every 15 minutes, in order to get their horse trailers in and out of her property. With trucks running for 12 hours/day, 6 days/week, her life has been turned upside down. Dismissed as "collateral damage" by local officials, she fears for the environmental impact, the health of her family and neighbors and the sustainability of her small business.
WiVoices.org

Report: Frac sand industry impacting lives of thousands who live near mines.  (Capital Times, 9/26/2014)

Follow-up.  Wisconsin residents blame fracking for a boom in sand mining facilities.  (CBS, 4/18/2014)

No improvements.
Resident Brenda Tabor-Adams said, "The trucks drive past here, and there's sand on the road, there's sand on the ditch, so I do get a lot in my house." 
All that blowing sand is a health concern for Tabor-Adams. Her farm is surrounded by four sand mines. 

"After now dealing with it for a couple of years, I am starting to get some respiratory issues," she said. "Wheezing. It'll wake me up at night."

Other mining posts:
Report: Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest.  (9/26/2014) 
Makes you wonder: Do campaign contributions pay for a license to pollute?  (9/15/2014)
Maybe it has something to do with the hardhat.  (8/9/2014)
In other words, Kevin, people don't want to live near a frac sand mining operation.  (8/7/2014) 
UPDATED: Scott Walker continues his "Thank You for Your Contributions" tour.  (8/3/2014)
What a mere $8,000 will buy you in the Scott Walker House of Favors,  (3/30/2014)
Frac sand mining and property values: Homeowners vs. landowners.  (3/30/2014)
Nevertheless, transparency would have been in the general pubic's best interest.  (3/15/2014)
Wisconsin Towns Association has second thoughts about that "gentler" frac sand mining regulation bill. (3/4/014)
Scott Walker likely to support Tom Tiffany's new mining bill.  (2/27/2014)
The vision of Trempealeau County as one big mining operation -- nipped in the bud.  (2/20/2014)
Glenwood City Council members defeat their recall challengers by a hair.  (12/18/2013)
Wyoming's Republican Governor has a message for Wisconsin mining industry's "Tom Terrific".  (11/24/2013)
The mining industry's "Tom Terrific" gets pushback from his Republican colleagues.  (11/18/2013)
In so many words: Dear Sen. Tiffany, Your bill sucks, Sincerely, Pepin County Board.  (11/13/2013)
Follow the Gogebic money.  (11/7/2013)
Sand mine industry leaders put our minds at ease.  (11/5/2013) 
Scott Walker donor promises jobs, permanence for Independence and Whitehall residents.  (10/29/2013) 
Sen. Tom Tiffany's sand mine bill a hot potato.  (10/28/2013) 
Another Walker campaign donor for SB349.  (10/25/2013)
Expensive to the Tune of $430,505.49 (as of June 30, 2013).  (10/25/2013) 
The Nipper Chronicles: The frac sand mining masters speak.  (10/18/2013)
Things aren't so tranquil in Glenwood City Wisconsin lately  (10/10/2013)

Report: Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest

From page 5 of the report

Report: Frac sand industry impacting lives of thousands who live near mines. (Capital Times, 9/26/2014)

Frac sand rush.
Trinko has not opened the windows of her house since the fall of 2012.

“The billowing of silica sand has not abated since the mine was constructed in 2011. One truck passes down my road every three minutes or less,” she said. “My life has been negatively impacted by this industry. I am resisting the idea of moving. But a person’s life is priceless.” 

According to the report, there are thousands of others living in close proximity to sand mines and processing centers, with little to no oversight by the government to monitor the impacts of the industry on the water supply or the air quality. 

Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest:  Table of Contents 
Executive Summary
Section 1. Introduction to Frac Sand Mining
Section 2. Description of Frac Sand Operations
Section 3. Number and Location of Frac Sand Facilities in Wisconsin and Minnesota
Section 4. Impacts of Frac Sand Operations on Communities
Section 5.  Externalities - Human Health and Environmental Costs
  • Water Impact  
  • Air Quality Impacts 
  • Economic Impacts 
Section 6. Recommendations
Appendix I: Local and State Authority Over Frac Sand Operations
Appendix II: Local Economic Analyses to Conduct Prior to Frac Sand Operation Approvals
Bibliography 
 
Other mining posts:
Makes you wonder: Do campaign contributions pay for a license to pollute?  (9/15/2014)
Maybe it has something to do with the hardhat.  (8/9/2014)
In other words, Kevin, people don't want to live near a frac sand mining operation.  (8/7/2014) 
UPDATED: Scott Walker continues his "Thank You for Your Contributions" tour.  (8/3/2014)
What a mere $8,000 will buy you in the Scott Walker House of Favors,  (3/30/2014)
Frac sand mining and property values: Homeowners vs. landowners.  (3/30/2014)
Nevertheless, transparency would have been in the general pubic's best interest.  (3/15/2014)
Wisconsin Towns Association has second thoughts about that "gentler" frac sand mining regulation bill. (3/4/014)
Scott Walker likely to support Tom Tiffany's new mining bill.  (2/27/2014)
The vision of Trempealeau County as one big mining operation -- nipped in the bud.  (2/20/2014)
Glenwood City Council members defeat their recall challengers by a hair.  (12/18/2013)
Wyoming's Republican Governor has a message for Wisconsin mining industry's "Tom Terrific".  (11/24/2013)
The mining industry's "Tom Terrific" gets pushback from his Republican colleagues.  (11/18/2013)
In so many words: Dear Sen. Tiffany, Your bill sucks, Sincerely, Pepin County Board.  (11/13/2013)
Follow the Gogebic money.  (11/7/2013)
Sand mine industry leaders put our minds at ease.  (11/5/2013) 
Scott Walker donor promises jobs, permanence for Independence and Whitehall residents.  (10/29/2013) 
Sen. Tom Tiffany's sand mine bill a hot potato.  (10/28/2013) 
Another Walker campaign donor for SB349.  (10/25/2013)
Expensive to the Tune of $430,505.49 (as of June 30, 2013).  (10/25/2013) 
The Nipper Chronicles: The frac sand mining masters speak.  (10/18/2013)
Things aren't so tranquil in Glenwood City Wisconsin lately  (10/10/2013)

Iron County: Public Library Circulation and Program Attendance, 1996-2013


2010 population:  5,916

Public libraries in Iron County





          % change (1996-2013)
          • Circulation:  5.4%
          • Program attendance:  121% 

            Line graphs data source:  Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

            Related posts: (with 1996-2013 % changes)

            Adams County.  (9/1/2014)
            • Circulation:  320%
            • Program attendance:  132%
            Ashland County (9/2/2014)
            • Circulation:  13.5%
            • Program attendance:  116%
            Barron County  (9/3/2014)
            • Circulation:  32.1%
            • Program attendance:   237%
            Bayfield County (9/4/2014)
            • Circulation:  127%
            • Program attendance:   (7.2%)
            Brown County (9/5/2014)
            • Circulation:  35.2%
            • Program attendance:   (22.3%)
            Buffalo County (9/6/2014)
            • Circulation:  1.9%
            • Program attendance:  812%
            Burnett County (9/7/2014)
            • Circulation:  104%
            • Program attendance  466%
            Calumet County (9/8/2014)
            • Circulation: (32.7%)
            • Program attendance  20.0%
            Chippewa County (9/9/2014)
            • Circulation: 24.6%
            • Program attendance  28.8%
            Clark County (9/10/2014)
            • Circulation: 21.6%
            • Program attendance  86.5%
            Columbia County (9/11/2014)
            • Circulation: 40.5%
            • Program attendance  84.2%
            Crawford  County (9/12/2014)
            • Circulation: 58.1%
            • Program attendance  (28.3%)
            Dane County (9/13/2014)
            • Circulation: 83.0%
            • Program attendance  246%
            Dodge County (9/14/2014)
            • Circulation: 53.9%
            • Program attendance  186%
            Door County (9/15/2014)
            • Circulation: 23.2%
            • Program attendance  (7.1%)
            Douglas County (9/16/2014)
            • Circulation: 81.1%
            • Program attendance:  33.9% 
            Dunn County (9/17/2014)
            • Circulation: 14.2%
            • Program attendance:  178% 
            Eau Claire County (9/18/2014)
            • Circulation: 23.7%
            • Program attendance:  86.6% 
            Florence County (9/19/2014)
            • Circulation: 251%
            • Program attendance:  195% 
            Fond du Lac County (9/20/2014)
            • Circulation: 24.2%
            • Program attendance:  72.6% 
            Forest County (9/21/2014)
            • Circulation: 68.4%
            • Program attendance:  261% 
            Grant County (9/22/2014)
            • Circulation: 44.3%
            • Program attendance:  87.9%
            Green County (9/23/2014)
            • Circulation:  14.4%
            • Program attendance:  111% 
            Green Lake County (9/24/2014)
            • Circulation:  33.8%
            • Program attendance:  125%
            Iowa County (9/25/2014)
            • Circulation:  39.8%
            • Program attendance:  122%