After the conversation with my Uncle, I wanted to know more about sand mining because this issue relates to my field. I wanted to know the benefits and negative effects sand mining has on Wisconsin residents. I stumbled upon an article about a town called Tunnel City in Monroe County Wisconsin. This town was in the process of having a sand mining operation come to their town. The mining company, Unimin, is a company based out of Connecticut. They were willing to pay homeowners a lot of money to sell their homes.
What this company will be doing is called fracking. Fracking is when a solution of sand, water and various chemicals are forced into the ground to crack rocks. Once the rocks are cracked, oil and natural gas are extracted from difficult areas. This process will help decrease the demand for oil and natural gas. There are numerous counties in Wisconsin that have companies that partake in this process.
Citizens of Tunnel City and other towns that are located by sand mines are unhappy. One reason why people are so unhappy is because they will lose the aesthetics of their land they grew up on. When the mine comes, there will be nothing except a large hole. The number one reason why people are upset is the possible health problems they can get. They can get Cancer, Silicosis and Asthma to name a few. People also have to worry about sand blowing sporadically, including into their lungs. Unfortunately some companies don’t know where harmful agents, like crystalline silica, originate. The WI DNR has some regulations for sand mining though. The sand companies are required to propose a plan stating how much land they will use and how it will be recovered to the county. The sand companies have to obtain permits for air emissions and groundwater use also.
Since I am a soil major, this issue is very passionate to me. I support sand mines because the demand for natural gas and oil is high. Sand mining will create thousands of jobs that can boost our economy. The companies have to follow permits and have to restore the land after they are done. I however believe the companies need to find a better way to eliminate the harmful agents that originate from mining sand. If the mining is safe for everyone, creates jobs, and the companies restore the land, I believe there is nothing wrong with sand mining.
Works cited: Smathers, Jason. "Sand Mining Surges in Wisconsin." WisconsinWatch.org. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.
3 comments:
I am all for using our natural resources. This seems a reasonable way to obtain hydrocarbons that were previously unavailable. However, isn’t this relatively new? The process uses chemicals; are the watersheds where these mines are located at risk? I personally would want more of a guarantee that the drinking water will not be affected. I think that some of these companies may be rushing in to new areas without realizing the potential negatives involved with this process.
As the world as we know it expands and the need for natural resources grows, sand mining, "at the surface," seems to be the answer for acquiring hydrocarbons in areas previously unavailable. But as stated above what about the chemicals?, are there ways to avoid the chemicals? and how bad are the health risks? since this is a new process I would like to see how this goes in the future and then give more of an opinion.
I agree with both of you. The companies should be held accountable if the chemicals are found in the groundwater. I believe the companies should still be allowed to sand mine because it will not only create jobs for people but as well as lessen the need for energy. However, they should be required by law to make sure the chemicals aren’t found in the groundwater.
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