Frac Sand Mining has once again been proposed in Fillmore County on the Roger Dabelstein property 13 miles west of Rushford on state highway 30. Twelve years ago, Minnesota Sands proposed a much larger project consisting of 11 mines. That project had been tabled since 2018 by the EQB (Environmental Quality Board) until this January. An EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) had been called for after the EAW (Environmental Assessment Worksheet) had been presented for the 11 mines. Because of the size and scope of the project, the EIS proved too expensive and was not completed.
An EAW for the Dabelstein Mine has now been created. The entire EAW can be viewed by the public on the county’s website at co.fillmore.mn.us/departments/zoning/eaws.php or on the EQB website at webapp.pca.state.mn.us/eqb-search/project-detail/259708?siId=259708-PROJ0000000001.
Fillmore County, which is the RGU (responsible governmental unit) for the project, only allows five frac mines in the county. At this time, one has already been permitted – the Rein Mine near Highland.
The newly proposed 50-acre mine on the Roger Dabelstein property is smaller in scope than Minnesota Sands previous project; the sand would be mined and transported by truck to either a railyard in Winona or to barges in Winona or French Island. According to Rick Frick, president of Minnesota Sands, Fillmore County does not allow processing of the sand in Fillmore County. The sand would just be mined and trucked to be sent to the northeast U.S. without any processing in Fillmore County.
According to Frick, an EIS would not be needed unless the mine gets over 80 acres. Frick noted he will follow all ordinances and will do an EIS on the project if required. Such an EIS for the Dabelstein Milne would be much less expensive than the EIS requested for the 11 mine project. It would entail only the mine itself, the roads to Winona or French Island, and the rail yards and barge loading areas.
Blake Lea, Fillmore County Land Use Director commented, “Determining the appropriateness of ordering an EIS is a complex process.”
If the project has the potential for significant environmental effects or if the RGU (Fillmore County, in this case) determines that there is necessary information lacking in the EAW they can include within the scope of an EIS studies to obtain the needed information or postpone a decision for having an EIS for 30 days in order to obtain needed information.
An EIS is a more in depth review of the project. Additional meetings and comment periods along with an up to 280-day review of it.
The EAW states that there will be a maximum of 8-9 trucks per hour with a more likely average of 3-5 trucks per hour. Trucks will be no closer than seven minutes apart. The mining will be done in five 10-acre phases.
According to the EAW, there is one residence 1,080 feet from the mine, three homes are within a half-mile and 10 additional residences are within a mile of the mine. A staging area is to be set up at the beginning of the first phase to minimize views and noise for the nearest landowner.
While there are no sinkholes on the actual land the mine would be on, there are 12 sinkholes in the nearby area.
The mine site is 50 acres of cropland and grassland at this time. A foot of topsoil would be removed from the top and sides of the ridge and set aside to be used in the future reclamation of the land.
According to the EAW, the reclamation would result in 22 additional acres of cropland and 10 acres of dry prairie, oak openings and cliff plantings.
A required condition of a CUP (Conditional Use Permit) would be to do such reclamation of the land. Lea noted that there is a provision in the ordinance that bonds may be required for operation and shall be required for the reclamation of the site.
The sand from the Dabelstein Mine area is exceptionally clean and, according to Frick, is the hardest sand that has ever been tested. As a result, it is in high demand for fracking.
In the fracking process for oil and gas wells, the sand, water and chemicals are sent down into a well that has been drilled to the depth of the shale filled with petroleum (around a mile deep into the earth, far below the water table). The sand and water keep the fissures open to allow the petroleum or gas to be brought to the earth’s surface.
Citizen concerns with fracking and frac sand mining include potential pollution of air and water, excessive use of roads, and assurance of a completed reclamation process for the land in the event the mine closes prematurely. Some citizens have felt the comment process has not been announced sufficiently to the public.
The 30-day comment period on the Dabelstein Mine EAW ends June 27. At this point, two comments have been received – one from a neighbor and one from an out-of-state individual.
After the EAW comment period is over, Fillmore County will work with the EQB and prepare a response to the public comments. A decision will be made by the Land Use Office and the Fillmore County Board on whether to require an EIS.
Before proceeding with the project, American Sands would need to draft a road maintenance agreement and apply for driveway access in addition to applying for a conditional use permit with Fillmore County. A permit for nonmetallic mining and associated activities would also need to be applied for with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
According to Frick, there is a “good possibility” that the sand now may not actually be sold to be used for fracking. Samples are currently being tested for an alternate use. Frick said he would be able to share more information about this in a week.
In the meantime, the EAW comment period for the potential frac sand mine continues. The deadline for citizen comment expires June 27. Citizen comments can be submitted via email to Blake Lea at Blea@co.fillmore.mn.us or by writing to Blake Lea at P.O. Box 466, Preston, Minn. 55965.
Loni Kemp says
Thank you, Wanda Hanson, for this well written article. I submitted my comments on the problems posed by the Dabelstein mine to the Planning Commission last week. I am sure very few people have gotten wind of the proposal, until your reporting today. Good job.