State geologist discusses impacts of frac-sand mining

by Lissa Blake

The potential impact of frac-sand mining on northeast Iowa would be a matter of scale. That was the message from Iowa State Geologist Bob Libra as he presented to the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors and a packed courtroom of concerned citizens, including some from Allamakee County, Monday afternoon, March 30.
Libra explained one frac-sand mine would likely cause no more impact than a traditional rock quarry; however, in places like Wisconsin, one mine is surrounded by dozens of others. “The thing people are afraid of isn’t one mine,” said Libra.

RECENT LOCAL HISTORY
Winneshiek County currently has a moratorium on the issuance of conditional use permits for frac-sand mining. The moratorium is set to expire October 15 of this year.
Allamakee County passed an ordinance in July of last year which allows frac-sand mining, but greatly restricts the location of where mines can be located.

DEMAND CONTINUES TO RISE
Libra said although crude oil prices have fallen recently, natural gas prices have not. Frac-sand is used in the hydraulic fracturing process of extracting both crude and natural gas.
“In 2007, the market demanded six million tons of sand. By 2011, that increased to 29 million. In 2010, the sand trade was more than a $1 billion business,” said Libra.
Libra added energy production is a volatile industry, and “boom and bust” are business as usual. “Interest in new sand sources won’t go away,” he said.

IMPACTS ON WATER QUALITY
Libra explained the water quality impacts of mining St. Peter sandstone would depend on a number of site-specific considerations. “Is the sand being washed? What’s the water source?” he asked.
Libra said there are state regulations that would protect domestic well owners from being impacted, and added the water near the St. Peter sandstone layer is not a big supplier of water to trout streams. “It would have a bit less of an impact than you might think,” he said.

ACRYLAMIDES
Libra said concerns have also been raised about acrylamides in regard to the frac-sand mining process.
Polyacrylamide, which is considered "safe," is commonly used at sand-washing sites. Studies have shown polyacrylamides can break down into acrylamide (through force, heat or UV exposure), which has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a “probable human carcinogen.”
“It’s a bit of an unknown. But several years of monitoring ‘downflow’ from mines in Chippewa County, WI has yet to detect acrylamides,” he said.

COMPOUNDED
Libra reiterated that any potential effects of frac-sand mining would be compounded by the intensity with which the mines would likely be opened and operated. “In Wisconsin, they opened half a dozen or more in the area the size of the county (Chippewa) within two years,” he said. “It’s not just one. It’s a whole line of them,” he said.

CONCERNS OF LOCAL INTEREST
Following Libra’s presentation, Winneshiek County Supervisor John Beard said he has concerns about the amount of water frac-sand mines could potentially use and the impact it could have on the water table.
“Sometimes during processing, they can withdraw up to three million gallons a day. I’m concerned the rate of recharge might not be enough to keep up with the rate of demand,” said Beard.
When Ric Zarwell, representing the Allamakee County Protectors, asked Libra if there are any limits regarding the amount of groundwater mining operations can take out in a day, Libra answered, “I don’t think so.”
“That really concerns me and a lot of other people,” said Zarwell.

RECLAMATION RECOMMENDATIONS
With regard to reclamation of the site, Beard next asked Libra if he had any recommendations for the Winneshiek County Planning and Zoning Commission. Libra said he has a hard time envisioning what reclamation would look like due to the diverse landscape of Winneshiek County, and he said he doesn’t think the State has anything that says how you have to reclaim a site.
Kevin Sand, a retired doctor from Decorah, said he has concerns about both the air quality and water quality impacts from silica-sand mining. “Who is going to be protecting our groundwater, also our pristine coldwater streams? People travel all over and spend millions of dollars (to enjoy them),” said Sand, adding, “By the time it gets to someone’s glass of water, we’re in trouble for decades.”

PERMISSION TO POLLUTE
Former Winneshiek County Supervisor Steve McCargar said the process of allowing or permitting the activity will be just a license to pollute.
“In the history of permitting, there is ample evidence that companies that are granted permits, when assessed with fines or charged with misdemeanors, take those as a cost of doing business. Once they have a permit to operate, they have a license to pollute. If they are taken to court, the litigation lasts for decades… Permitting exists to enable polluters to get into our natural resources base,” said McCargar.

ADDITIONAL WATER ISSUES
Jack Knight, another member of Allamakee County Protectors present at the meeting, told Libra he was concerned about two water-related problems he has heard of from Wisconsin. “The first is that berms surrounding settling ponds are breaking and filling the wetlands with sand… The other problem is local wells going bad because of the massive amounts of explosives being used,” said Knight.

SLOWING THE PROCESS
Beth Lynch, a biologist at Luther College in Decorah, asked if there is some way the state could slow the process enough so that communities would have the chance to evaluate the cumulative impacts… “Impacts of something we can’t anticipate.”
She next asked who sets the goals for reclamation. Libra said the best chance that counties would have at effective reclamation would be for the counties to set the standards themselves.
“The likelihood of the State stepping in and doing anything is low, but the process you’ve got going here is probably likely to do that,” said Libra.
Libra added because frac-sand mining would only affect a small portion of the state in northeast Iowa, he doesn’t anticipate the State stepping in to help. “It’s a good news/bad news kind of thing,” said Libra.