October 2, 2014 at 1:25 p.m.
Taylors Falls hosts Town Hall on frac sand and infrastructure issues
Taylors Falls hosts Town Hall on frac sand and infrastructure issues
Resident Julie Hildebrand was among the first of about 15 citizens who spoke at the congressman’s Town Hall September 25, and there were approximately 40 in the audience at Taylors Falls Memorial Community Center. She said recent state pollution control agency rules and policies apply to where the sand mining is taking place. But along the intensely utilized sand shipping routes, and on the fringe areas of the mining, the local officials seem to have no say. She asked that there be some consideration and analysis of the costs inflicted all along the path of this product.
A woman from Wabasha, MN told Rep. Nolan the ramifications of the frac sand industry are “cross jurisdictional” and Congress must become involved. She said it’s been her experience in Wabasha, that Wisconsin “doesn’t care” if Minnesotans are being negatively impacted by mining, and by hundreds of heavy trucks or rail lines moving the sand.
Jim McCarthy, Sunrise Township, told Congressman Nolan he doesn’t understand why government officials are even talking about spending potentially millions of dollars on a possible highway by-pass or other public sector remedies to detrimental effects created by a single private enterprise, in this case Superior Silica Sands LLC.
About a block away from the meeting hall, gas pumps were advertising fuel prices close to $3 a gallon, which is made possible in part by a huge increase in supply of American fuels.
But, Clarence Nelson, retired economist and Taylors Falls resident, told Nolan the costs of fracking are being externalized. There should be a “damage deposit” collected from frac sand executives; sufficient enough to cover lost tourism business, environmental harm, cleanup, crumbling roads and loss of quality of life to reimburse locations like Taylors Falls. Nelson said the true costs of supplying these fuels are being borne by local communities.
Resident Denise Harris said the riverway itself is seeing a reduction in populations of good mussels, the ones that keep the river clean, because of fine sand particles in the streambed and the growth in pollutants related to mining and hauling.
Council member Larry Julik-Heine added that the St. Croix National Wild and Scenic Riverway is Taylors Falls’ responsibility. “Each generation must be the stewards of this river valley,” he added.
Mayor Mike Buchite explained that when the prospect of being on the direct hauling route for hundreds of daily frac sand trucks first surfaced--Buchite calculated a truck through downtown every minute and a half, which is simply not viable.
Buchite thanked the residents who got involved in opposing this and now, “We have the attention of Washington D.C....we need alternatives...let’s come up with a good solution,” Buchite said.
One man was applauded when he said forbidding frac sand facilities in Minnesota altogether would be a good solution.
The Hinckley city administrator came to talk with Nolan. He commented that his issue was “further down the transportation chain” but said downtown Hinckley grinds to a standstill when sand-filled rail cars come up the shortline from North Branch-Rush City now. Anywhere from 16 to 20 rail cars will block vehicle flow in Hinckley as they are switched to the main rail to head west.
These currently carry sand from the Tiller Corp. processing facility already in North Branch. The possible new Superior Silica Sands frack sand trans-load facility is an additional issue.
Congressman Nolan said he was very glad he could spend some time in Taylors Falls and “...be reminded of what’s at stake here.
“To allow this to go forward would have a devastating effect...I am convinced we have to stop this from happening,” he stated.
Nolan said he heard that citizens have grave concerns over hydraulic fracturing as a method for releasing fuels and natural gas and the effects on groundwater, geologic stability and the waste it produces.
He also understands the temporarily-on hold North Branch truck-to-rail facility and the Superior Silica Sands haul route proposed through Taylors Falls are imminent concerns expressed at the town hall. But, he also heard the inter-state river crossing at Taylors Falls itself is obsolete and congested.
Wade Vitalis, Taylors Falls businessowner, said there aren’t going to be any new bridges built anytime soon over the St. Croix. As long as there are quantities of any products hauled by truck Taylors Falls will have issues. Mayor Buchite added the through-traffic that normally uses mainstreet would be better served with a bypass. A bypass (at a newly-aligned Tern Avenue and Hwy 95 and continuing north through three to four miles of vacant land pickup Hwy #95 again) has been discussed for years. County Engineer Joe Triplett commented that he doesn’t want to see a heavily-trafficked bypass on a county road alignment, unless it becomes a state road.
Comments:
Commenting has been disabled for this item.