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| Concerned Citizens for St. Charles |
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| Concerned Citizens for St. Charles is a group of volunteers who are striving to inform all area residents of ongoing sand activities. We are concerned about all the negative impacts sand mining and sand processing will have on our community and our neighboring communities. We welcome your input and involvement in helping us protect the health, safety and welfare of citizens in the St. Charles area, while preserving this region’s unique beauty, natural resources, and way of life. |
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| Wednesday, March 13: MN House of Representatives to Hold First Hearing on the Silica Sand Mining Issue!! |
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| House File 906, authored by Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-Mendota Heights), will be heard Wednesday, March 13, in the House Environment Policy Committee. House File 906 calls for the Environmental Quality Board to develop standards for frac sand ordinances that can be used by local units of government and to create a technical assistance team to help local units of government. We must work to strengthen this bill by making sure it contains the key elements of Senate File 786. |
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| >> learn more |
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| News and Information |
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| Collapse of St. Charles Frac Sand Project Causes Split Among Investors |
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| The collapse of a major frac sand proposal in Winona County has caused a split among investors in the project, with one faction pulling out in frustration over Minnesota’s anti-frac sand sentiment… |
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| Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Tony Kennedy, February 13, 2013 |
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| St. Charles City Council Vote Derails Silica Sand Project |
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| ST. CHARLES — A unanimous vote from St. Charles' city council Tuesday night put the Minnesota Proppant silica-sand processing and transportation project on life support… |
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| Source: Rochester Post Bulletin, Brian Todd, February 13, 2013 |
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| Mining-Hub Town of St. Charles Says No to Major Frac Sand Facility |
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| Frac sand mining in southeastern Minnesota was dealt a serious setback Tuesday night when the city of St. Charles adopted a resolution advocated by local foes of the industry… |
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| Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Tony Kennedy, February 13, 2013 |
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| St. Charles Frac Plant Petition Fails |
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| ST. CHARLES, Minn. (KTTC) -- What has been the center of discussion on the outskirts of St. Charles has come to a conclusion at Tuesday evening's City Council meeting. On the agenda, the annexation of 300 acres on the eastern border of the city to turn into a proposed frac sand plant… |
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| Source: KTTC TV, Peter Schuneman, March 12, 2013 |
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| St. Charles Won’t Annex Land for Frac Sand Plant |
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| The St. Charles City Council is expected to vote today against annexing township land for a large proposed frac sand processing facility, which would leave the future of the facility in doubt… |
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| Source: Winona Daily News, Tesla Rodriquez, March 12, 2013 |
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| St. Charles to Vote Tonight on Allowing Frac Mine |
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| (ABC 6 NEWS) -- A vote Thursday by the St. Charles city council could put a halt on a controversial topic for the area, a proposed frac sand facility… |
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| Source: KAAL TV, Katie Eldred, March 12, 2013 |
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| Health Concerns With Frac Sand Mining |
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| (ABC 6 News) -- A doctor took center stage talking with people about what he says are serious health concerns that can come from silica processing plants, likes the one that's proposed in St Charles… |
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| Source: KAAL TV, Steph Crock, March 7, 2013 |
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| Silica Sand Mining Saga Continues in St. Charles |
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| ST. CHARLES, Minn. (KTTC)- A decision by the city of St. Charles regarding silica sand mining could be made soon thanks to a petition offered by concerned citizens in the city. It is just one item involved in a busy day regarding the topic of mining… |
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| Source: KTTC TV, Jared Ransom, March 7, 2013 |
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| St. Charles Township Sends 'Crystal Clear' Message on Frac Sand Facility |
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| There can be no question now. The people of St. Charles Township have spoken. And now the chairman of the township board has spoken. Minnesota Proppant's proposed sand-loading rail facility is not wanted… |
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| Source: Rochester Post Bulletin, Brian Todd, February 13, 2013 |
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| In a First, Minnesota Asks Winona County to Assess Risks of Frac Sand |
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| Two state agencies are urging Winona County to approve an extensive review of potential impacts for two proposed frac sand mines in Saratoga Township. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health both sent letters to county planning staff this week strongly recommending an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Yoder and Dabelstein mines… |
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| Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Tony Kennedy, February 8, 2013 |
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| State: EIS for County Frac Mines |
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| In a critical test of Minnesota's approach to frac sand mining, two state agencies have called on Winona County to order an in-depth study of environmental and health risks associated with a cluster of proposed mines and processing sites… |
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| Source: Winona Daily News, Mary Juhl, February 8, 2012 |
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| Red Wing's Mayor Gets Second Job with Frac Sand Lobbying Group |
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| Red Wing Mayor Dennis Egan has been hired to run a new lobbying and trade group for the frac sand industry, triggering consternation in his hometown just as it begins considering what position to take in a sand-mining debate that is emerging at the State Capitol… |
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| Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Tony Kennedy, February 6, 2013 |
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| Sand Mine Rules Melt Under Pressure: To escape a strict permit in one township, a mine was annexed by a nearby city with lax restrictions |
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| The maneuver stands as an example of the way mining companies are leveraging jobs and money to exert their will in the small communities of southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, where a sand rush has led to the permitting of more than 100 facilities in the past four years. It also shows how, in the absence of statewide oversight, local units of government are competing for sand mines at the expense of consistent standards… |
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| Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Tony Kennedy, February 3, 2013 |
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| State Lawmakers Push for Study on Silica Sand Mining |
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| ST. PAUL — The state Capitol is the latest front in the battle over silica-sand mining in southeastern Minnesota as domestic oil and gas production increases have boosted demand for the sand… |
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| Source: Rochester Post Bulletin, Heather J. Carlson, January 14, 2013 |
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| No Frac Sand Washing Plant in St. Charles |
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| More than 80% of the eligible voters surveyed in St. Charles DO NOT want the nation’s LARGEST frac sand washing plant in our town or anywhere near here! In two short weekends late in November, 45 concerned citizens covered about 60% of our town with petitions to stop the frac sand activities within the city of St. Charles… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Skip Fort, January 9, 2013 |
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| St. Charles Petition Asks for Referendum on Mining |
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| St. Charles residents who oppose a proposal that would put the country's largest frac sand processing and rail transfer facility on the edge of the city have begun circulating a petition, and in just two weekends have gathered more than 900 signatures… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Sarah Squires, December 19, 2012 |
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| Video: St. Charles Residents Meet Over Frac Sand Project |
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| Some people in St. Charles are hoping their voice will be heard, so a new frac sand mine won't end up in their small town. That group met Monday night to try and get others to rally against it.
This isn't their first effort to get their voice heard either. The same group of community members tried getting this issue on the ballot so they would have a say in this, but that was rejected last Tuesday. Though, Monday's meeting proved their not giving up… |
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| Source: KAALtv - Channel 6, Steph Crock, December 17, 2012 |
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| MPCA: County Must Study EIS for Frac Sand Mines |
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| The Winona County Board received data on Tuesday from the state that suggest the county may have to require several proposed frac sand mines and a processing and transportation plant to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS, unlike the Environmental Assessment Worksheets (EAWs) currently being prepared for the projects, is a in-depth environmental review that could take a year to complete, delaying the proposed frac sand projects significantly… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Sarah Squires, December 12, 2012 |
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| St. Charles Parts with Police Chief; Hears from Anti-Silica Sand Group |
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| here are 906 people on the petition wanting a chance for a public vote on whether they wanted a frac sand facility in the city of St. Charles,” said Travis Lange, a spokesperson for Concerned Citizens for St. Charles… |
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| Source: Rochester Post Bulletin, Brian Todd, December 12, 2012 |
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| MPCA: County Must Study EIS for Frac Sand Mines |
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| The Winona County Board received data on Tuesday from the state that suggest the county may have to require several proposed frac sand mines and a processing and transportation plant to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS, unlike the Environmental Assessment Worksheets (EAWs) currently being prepared for the projects, is a in-depth environmental review that could take a year to complete, delaying the proposed frac sand projects significantly… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Sarah Squires, December 12, 2012 |
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| MN Proppant Environmental Data Exposed |
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| A planned development on the edge of the city of St. Charles could become the largest frac sand processing and transportation plant in the nation. Minnesota Proppant's plans include a rail spur, sand processing facility, and a six-mile underground pipeline that would bring sand to the site… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Sarah Squires, December 9, 2012 |
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| County Bungled Frac Sand Environmental Studies |
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| Two environmental studies for proposed sand mines in Saratoga Township must be re-released soon, after Winona County found it had several deficiencies in initial drafts that posed a liability for the county… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Sarah Squires November 14, 2012 |
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| Winona County & Frac Sand: Letting the Fox Guard & Build) the Hen House |
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| Both frac sand mines (Dabelstein and Yoder) are undergoing environmental review by Winona County. It appears that Winona County had the frac sand mine proposers prepare the Environmental Assessment Worksheets (EAWs), and then rubber-stamped them, in violation of state guidelines on environmental review. When the EAWs submitted by the mine proposers were compared to the EAWs put out by the county, there were no significant differences. The final EAWs put out by the county contain the same misinformation and missing information as the drafts submitted by the mine proposers… |
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| Source: Land Stewardship Project, Johanna Rupprecht November 6, 2012 |
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| Fox 9 Investigators: Silica Sand |
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| If you use natural gas to heat your home, you can thank silica sand for helping to greatly reduce the cost of supplies -- and for the oil boom in America, because that sand is used to help blast oil from shale in places like North Dakota as part of a process called fracking. However, the sand has created a swirling sandstorm of controversy. Since much of the precious sand is located in Minnesota and Wisconsin, local residents fear that mining to get at the sand could tear up local landscapes… |
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| Source: MyFOX9, Trish Van Pilsum, November 11, 2012 |
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| Letter to the Editor: Travis Lange - Speak Up; There’s Plenty We Can Do |
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| Recently, I’ve heard a comment repeated multiple times that I feel needs to be addressed. There seems to be a belief among some that the organizations behind the mining and proposed processing plant have too much money, therefore, there is nothing we can do. The truth of the matter is, we have no idea how much money Minnesota Proppant has because it has not and will not disclose its investors. Regardless of the money, the statement that there is nothing we can do is absolutely absurd… |
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| Source: Winona Daily News, Travis Lange, November 6, 2012 |
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| Proposed St. Charles Frac Handling Facility EAW to be Released Soon |
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| If Minnesota Proppant is successful with its development plans, what may be the largest frac sand facility in the nation would be erected on land adjacent to the city of St. Charles. It would process three million tons of frac sand annually, and the $70 million facility would serve as a rail transportation hub for the sand mined from at least three counties: Winona, Fillmore and Houston… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Sarah Squires, October 31, 2012 |
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| Public Comment Sought on Two Frac Mine EAWs |
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| The first Environmental Assessment Worksheets (EAWs) to examine the potential effects of frac sand mines in Winona County have been released to the public. State leaders are now accepting citizen and state agency comments for one month, and then the documents will be voted on by the Winona County Board. The board will consider whether the environmental reviews are sufficient for the two proposed mines to move ahead, or whether more comprehensive analyses are necessary… |
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| Source: Winona Post, Sarah Squires, October 17, 2012 |
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| Frac Sand EAW Concerns Pile Up |
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| An environmental assessment worksheet (EAW) ordered for a proposed frac sand mine near Rushford was a debated by Houston County commissioners for over an hour on Oct. 9.… |
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| Source: Spring Grove Herald, Craig Moorhead, October 16, 2012 |
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| Should They Build It? St. Charles Grapples with Sand Facility |
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| ST. CHARLES, Minn. — After 10 months of discussing the 300 acre frac sand washing and loading facility that hopes to open outside of St. Charles, city officials and residents are still waiting to hear whether the company can move forward with its plans.… |
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| Source: Winona Dilay News, Tesla Rodriquez, October 14, 2012 |
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| Trempealeau County Denies a Mining Permit for the First Time |
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| No other county in Minnesota or Wisconsin has permitted as many frac sand facilities as Trempealeau County, which borders the Mississippi River near Winona… |
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| Source: The Star Tibune, Tony Kennedy, October 12, 2012 |
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| County Says 'No' to Frac Sand Amendments |
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| SIREN—Listening to constituents, concerned businesses and upset residents, the Burnett County Land Use and Information committee voted last week to deny two amendments to the conditional use permit held by Tiller Corp., the company which runs the fracture sand mine west of Grantsburg… |
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| Source: The Burnett County Sentinel, Todd Beckmann, October 11, 2012 |
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| Wisconsin Kicks Off Study on Frac Sand's Impact on Water Quantity |
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| Government geologists will join Chippewa County officials and members of the frac sand industry in Chippewa Falls, Wisc.,today to kick off a five-year study of water quantity issues in an area of greatly expanded frac sand operations.… |
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| Source: The Star Tibune, Tony Kennedy, October 10, 2012 |
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| Video: City Council Rejects Frac Sand Transfer Facility in Eau Claire |
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| Eau Claire (WQOW) - Plans to build a frac sand transfer facility in Eau Claire, have been shut down, at least for now. Tuesday, the city council rejected a developer's agreement from Muskie Proppant on a 9 to 1 vote… |
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| Source: WQOW Eau Claire, October 9, 2012 |
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| Winona County Gets Anti-Frac Petition |
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| At least the group proposing a $70 million silica sand processing plant near St. Charles and those who opposed it agree on one thing — local governments need to study the idea thoroughly before deciding whether to approve it… |
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| Source: Rochester Post Bulletin, John Weiss, August 29, 2012 |
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| Distrust Grows of Fracking Companies |
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| Silica sand mining opponents had a rare face-to-face meeting with a mining company representative here Tuesday, leading to an exchange of ideas… |
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| Source: Rochester Post Bulletin, John Weiss, August 29, 2012 |
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| Crowd Hears About Wisconsin Man's Experience With Silica Sand Mine |
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| Another packed auditorium, another round of silica sand talk. Concerned Citizens of St. Charles hosted an information meeting Monday at St. Charles Elementary School… |
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| Source: Rochester Post Bulletin, Brian Todd, August 28, 2012 |
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| Related Videos |
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| Video: City Council Rejects Frac Sand Transfer Facility in Eau Claire - Eau Claire (WQOW) - Plans to build a frac sand transfer facility in Eau Claire, have been shut down, at least for now. Tuesday, the city council rejected a developer's agreement from Muskie Proppant on a 9 to 1 vote. |
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| >> read article |
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| Video: GASLAND - When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. |
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