Opponents become vocal as number of proposed sand mines increases
As sand mines and proposals for mines have popped up across west-central Wisconsin in the past couple of years, so too have people concerned about the impact of those mines.
Mining companies have targeted this part of Wisconsin because the qualities of much of the sand here make it usable for extracting natural gas and oil in other parts of the U.S. The facilities are called "frac" sand mines, named for the hydraulic fracturing process used to extract the fuel.
Popple, of Chippewa Falls, helped organize the group Concerned Chippewa Citizens, which worked unsuccessfully to stop a sand-processing plant being built in Chippewa Falls.
However, the group has been successful in getting out the word about the potential quality-of-life and environmental issues that could come with industrial-scale sand mining.
In recent months Popple has been contacted by people in Lake City, Minn., Winona, Minn., Red Wing, Minn., Maiden Rock, Prairie Farm, Arkansaw, Arcadia, Whitehall, Monroe, and, most recently, Tunnel City near Tomah, sites of existing or proposed sand mines.
People contacting Popple have expressed a variety of worries related to mines, including noise, lower property values, truck traffic, increased wear on roads, ground water effects and risks associated with inhaling airborne silica particles.
"I think it's been helpful to get articles from other places. Then you can see what other places are doing," Popple said of sand mine concerns elsewhere.
The Concerned Citizens group is closely watching the progress of a court case that may determine whether unzoned towns can have some say in the regulation of mines.
Two unzoned towns in Chippewa County - Cooks Valley and Howard - have tried to regulate sand mining by town ordinance.
Four landowners in Cooks Valley, who want to develop sand mines, sued the towns, maintaining those regulations weren't in place when they signed agreements with mining companies. Chippewa County Judge Jim Isaacson agreed, ruling that the town's ordinance was effectively a zoning ordinance. However, last month an appeals court asked the state Supreme Court to decide the matter.
Given the growth of requests to establish sand mines at locations throughout this part of Wisconsin, similar scenarios are likely to play out. Popple noted recent discussion in Barron County about adopting a frac mine moratorium.
Last Sunday Concerned Chippewa Citizens decided to expand their anti-mine work beyond Chippewa County. They started a new organization, "Save the Hills Alliance," to encompass a greater region.
Uses Of Sand - News
Officials estimate a high-capacity well at a mine site will use about 200 million gallons of water per year for washing sand, or about 70 million more gallons than the Chippewa County village of New Auburn uses. For now, Chippewa County groundwater
Jim Hayden/Sentinel staff By JIM HAYDEN David Swan stood among the sand dunes of Oval Beach. “There's not another place like this in the entire Great Lakes” and it should not be impacted by “an intense resort” like the one proposed for 320 acres just
Visitors to the downtown area are invited to experience reggae music, play in the sand and “hang loose.” Swimsuits and flip-flops are encouraged for the next event. It features a Beyond the Beach fashion show, an inflatable surfboard ride and a chance
Iowa DNR said the sand can be used for many different purposes. You can use it in the wintertime for traction. Local governments can use it for sidewalks or roads. You can also throw out the actual bags just like your trash that goes to a landfill.
Plans to build as many as 525 homes on the former New England Sand & Gravel Co. property were recently dropped. (The /File 2002) By Megan McKee For a few months this spring, development looked forthcoming at the site off Danforth Street in
Project uses the sand to mimic cr? Er a virtual landscape – Free ...
That looked like fins on an Impala, but what if you really want a more realistic virtual canyon landscape? With Project Mimicry, all you need is sand and a special sensor.
This is one of those technologies that you have to see to believe, which is why included a video after the jump so you can see it in action. You can see the top-down sensor lights that create a most colorful world of sand, and how shaping the sand changes its digital counterpart.
You can see in the video game that Monobanda, the developers of this technology, intend to use their sandbox graphics emulator for gaming. They already have some crazy type of game with bouncing balls, and it looks like it is rigged with an Xbox 360 controller.
I don’t see this technology being used by the gamer to create user-based content. Do you really want a gaming accessory that you have to constantly use a vacuum around after using? Or a sandbox in the middle of the room, for that matter?
Yes, this looks like something that game developers would use, but the technology for Project Mimicry is still “in development”.
Project Mimicry from Monobanda on Vimeo.
RT : Who wants to go to Boettler park and play some sand volleyball?<< oh the many uses of bot-ler park ;)
Here let me do it +grabs a plate and puts the cookies on them and then uses the knife to skim off the top of a mint choc. sand.>
True Jane Fact: In the tradition of George Sand and George Eliot, sometimes uses the pen name George R R Martin.Uses Of Sand - Bookshelf
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Quartz, Flint and Sand Can you give me any information about the uses of ... The largest uses for sand are for building purposes, for the manufacture of ...Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things
For sugar-restricted diets, use your sugar shaker as an alternative to ... *Sand Protect and store garden tools Your gardening tools are meant to last ...The British journal of educational psychology
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Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. ... Railroads: Train operators use sand to improve the traction of wheels ...
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