Sand Mines in Wisconsin

Random Wisconsin Thoughts:  Is anyone else noticing all of those sand mines popping up all over the state?

By Tim Donnelly- 9/28/12

I currently live in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, which is the center of the state. Within the last year I have been noticing large open pit mining operations throughout the state, especially in Northern Wisconsin. The most noticeable mines for me would be in Chippewa County. Every weekend I drive to Solon Springs, which is located in the farthest northwest county in the state, to go hunting and on the way I drive through Chippewa County and observe these mines. On many vacations that I have taken to Wyoming, Colorado, and North Dakota I have noticed mines and the destruction that they have done to the landscape but these mines in Wisconsin seemed different. I quickly realized why they seemed different and this is due to the fact they are mining sand. This process right away interested me as well as one of my friends riding in my car that is geology major. His exact words were, “look at that, I might actually get a job out of college.” So what is sand mining? Then actual name for sand mining is Silica (frac) sand mining and it is in high demand all around the nation. This sand is not going to end up in your kid’s playground but in the hands of the petroleum industry. Nationwide demand for fine silica sand has exploded in the last few years for its use in hydraulic fracturing. The process of fracturing has been nicknamed, “fracking”, and is the process of blasting sand mixed with water and chemicals into wells, creating fissures in the rock and freeing hard-to-reach pockets of oil and natural gas. If a large scale mine all of a sudden appeared in my backyard I would have a few questions. Is it safe for air and water pollution? Will it create jobs? How long will it be in my town before the sand dries up and the company leaves? These are just a few of the questions that I would have for the company that would be mining in my community. After doing some research, sand mining companies such as Unimin state that there is little environmental affect during and after the process of mining due to the fact that they only mine 150 acres at a time. From the DNR website I have gathered that these mines must be in ordinance with state water runoff regulations and must obtain a permit for such runoff as well. These mines must also fall under the air quality standards set by the state and the DNR. On the jobs aspect, mining operations creates jobs. These jobs are not going to be easy office jobs but hard working construction jobs. Although the conditions may be not suited for many individuals these jobs often pay extremely well. Due to the high demand for sand and the virtually unlimited supply for the sand there is no foreseeable end for the mining operations. Another benefit to some community members would be the selling of their land. Instead of haggling over prices or trying to pay fair market value for land and properties most of these sand mining companies pay at least double the value of each property to the landowner. For an example, In Tunnel City, Wisconsin, Unimin paid 5.3 million dollars for property valued at 1.1 million dollars. Overall I was pleased with what I researched and found out about regarding Silica sand mining. Although I realize that there will be some environmental damage, the surge in jobs and income for Wisconsin cannot be looked over as long as the health and environmental regulations are obeyed and followed by law. At the very least I now know what is going on when I drive by these mines and I encourage all those who live near these mines to do your own research to become informed on the benefits and negatives of Silica sand mining.

 

References: DNR.WI.GOV (Silica (frac) sand mining), RIVERTOWNS.NET (Sand mining surges in Wisconsin; health, environmental concerns rise. By Jason Smathers), and UNIMIN.COM