Learn More, Speak Up: Frac Sand Mining in the Ozarks

Hello Neighbors,

I'm want to share information with you regarding potential risks to our region of the Natural State. Multiple "frac sand" operations are developing in Izard and several nearby counties in order to extract silica sand for gas drilling. These are open quarry mines that will span hundreds of acres each, affecting neighboring landowners, the natural landscape, water quality, and our local roadways. The State of Arkansas and our counties are NOT prepared to evaluate and manage the risks of this new method of mining. Briefly, a few of the risk factors include:

* Water usage (hundreds of thousands of gallons per day): How will it affect residential wells in surrounding areas? Will this deplete the Ozark aquifer over time?
* Discharge of excess water into local creeks that feed the White River: How will the chemicals and sediment load of the discharge water affect of waterways?
* Air quality: Frac sand is silica sand, which will be released into the air and is hazardous when inhaled.
* Impact on our roads and driver safety, for example: 70 semi-trucks of sand per day will be shipped from one sand plant that is being constructed just east of Calico Rock, causing wear-and-tear on already dangerous roads and posing danger to other drivers.
* Limited liability of mining companies: If operations fail, companies with limited liability (LLCs) can declare bankruptcy and leave extensive damage behind with little or no penalty.

While it's unrealistic to think that frac sand mining can be completely eliminated from the Ozarks, it IS reasonable to demand regulations and enforcement that will keep these operations in check BEFORE damage is done. Frac sand mining will likely affect all of us in the near future, so if this industry concerns you, here's how you can speak up:

THE PLACE TO START:
Even if you're not living in the Mt. Pleasant area, your views on frac mining will impact the operation of the mine in Mt. Pleasant as well as the entire industry developing throughout the region. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) will hold a public hearing regarding a "waste water sedimentation pond construction and discharge permit" for the Bluebird operation in Mt. Pleasant. Public participation and commentary is encouraged. The meeting will be held this THURSDAY, December 3rd, at 6 p.m.at the Mt. Pleasant Community Center, 569 Main street in Mt. Pleasant. If you cannot attend, PLEASE submit a statement about your concerns before 4:30 pm THURSDAY December 3rd using one of these 3 formats:

Easy Online Form:
http://www.clayparton.org/FriendsRiver/BluebirdComments.html

Email:
Jennifer Harmon, ADEQ, Water Division
harmonj@adeq.state.ar.us

Mail written letters to:
ADEQ, Water Division
Attention: Jennifer Harmon
5301 Northshore Drive
North LittleRock, AR 72118-5317

INVESTIGATE YOUR LOCAL AREA:
You can also contact the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and voice concerns about your specific area.
* ADEQ Email Form: http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/poa/forms/questions.asp (you can comment anonymously)
* Local Field Office Contact Info: http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/home/field_offices.asp

FINAL NOTE:
On Friday December 11 at 6:30 pm, Joyce Hale from the League of Women Voters will be showing the award-winning documentary "Split Estate" at the Music Hall in Calico Rock. The FREE show runs 76 minutes with questions at the end. "Split Estate" discusses the risks associated with this new method of drilling and fracting of the rock to release natural gas. Learn more or buy your own copy of the video here: http://www.splitestate.com.

If you'd like more information, please visit www.friendsoftherivers.org/Frac_mining_Izard.html and pass the word.

Star light, star bright...

"Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would create new religions overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead, the stars come out every night and we watch television."
~ Paul Hawken

More peculiar creatures...

Don't you love those rare moments when the kid in you takes charge and you dive headlong into completely frivolous fun? It happened to me a few nights ago. I followed my 6 year old daughter's lead, abandoning dinner preparations to create a spur-of-the-moment diorama of the arctic sea. Yes, these are walruses of the yummy yam variety. Quite elusive - never before captured on film. My daughter recognized their potential, and we proceeded to gather an ice berg rock, match stick tusks, a blue t-shirt ocean, and plastic fish for them to eat. Why? Because we wanted to, that's why.

Take a peek at the rare Ozark Pocket Gopher (native to my little corner of Arkansas)...

"Prior to the 1990s, all pocket gophers in Arkansas were classified as Baird’s pocket gopher (G. breviceps). The new Arkansas species was described through further DNA testing and analyses of cranial morphology...To date, the Ozark pocket gopher has been confirmed to exist in Izard County with an estimated population of about 3,500 individuals. The term “geomys” in the scientific name means ‘earth mouse” . Most of their lives are spent underground so gophers are seldom seen, but their presence is obvious when the excavated dirt from a burrow is deposited in a mound at the surface."

- From Jane Jones-Schulz of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission

This guy is actually a plains pocket gopher, but you get the idea. If you'd like to see the real McCoy in action, check out the exclusive YouTube video. For real. Click HERE.

Public Meeting Scheduled re: Sand Mining Permit

(From The Melbourne Times)

PUBLIC MEETING:

ADEQ (Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality) will hold a public meeting and hearing December 3, 2009, in Mount Pleasant, AR to accept comments on a draft permit for construction of a process water recycling pond for Bluebird Sand, LLC in Izard County. The meeting will start at 6:00pm.

Calico Rock Can Do Better Than Frac Sand Mining

I am obviously opposed to the sand plant proposal, and I encourage others to investigate this issue. Here's a new resource: FINANCIAL IMPACTS OF PROPOSED ROCKFORT QUARRY.
The assurances of the mining company as to the protection of our heath and natural resources is meaningless to me, considering they stand to profit at the expense of our community. To reiterate what others have mentioned, some of my concerns include:

* Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to be used per day (what will this do to wells in the area and to the aquifer we all share?)
* Excess water from processing that will be discharged into local creeks that feed the White River. (What chemicals and heavy metals will be present in this water, and how will it affect our waterways?)
* Noise and lights from a 20 hour per day operation.
* Air quality issue (Frac sand is silica sand, which will be released into the air and is hazardous when inhaled.)
* Impact on our roads and driver safety. (70 semi-trucks of sand per day will be shipped from the plant, causing wear-and-tear on already dangerous roads and posing danger to other drivers.)
* Impact on property values. (Personally, if I were interested in relocating my family, I would avoid any community with a frac sand mine. Will our property values plummet because no one wants to come here?)
* False assurances that the employees of the plant will be local citizens. (One of the big selling points about the mine seems to be local employment, but the mining company can not guarantee that its staff will be hired locally.)

Finally, on a more personal note, I can think of numerous better ways to expend our energy as a community. A prison, sand mines, another dollar store – ugh! Are these the kinds of businesses with which we want to define our lovely little corner of the country? How about a bakery, a coffee shop, a bookstore, a sporting goods store, a fitness facility, a gift store featuring local craftspeople, an archery shop, a bait and tackle shop, a garden center, an art gallery?? These sorts of establishments cater to visitors with money to burn (and locals, like me, who enjoy a cup o' culture now and then). They cultivate beauty rather than destroying it. They would employ people – more people than the sand plant – and provide much more pleasant working environments. Think outside the box, people. BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME.

"Frac Sand" Mining Threatens Arkansas Ozarks

From Gene Dunaway of Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers:

"Over the past few weeks it has become clear that a number of 'frac' sand mining and sand processing operations have plans to develop in Izard County. The need for sand for gas drilling, especially in the Fayetteville shale, is driving this development. This particular company is planning a large open quarry mine and already has a stormwater permit for 240 acres in a 1000 acre area they own with a multimillion dollar plant proposed. Unimen, the sand plant that has been in Guion for years has filed for permits to expand. At least one other plant has filed for permits.

People involved with Friends of Mill and Piney Creeks (FMCPC) have been leading an effort, with our partnership to understand and grasp the significance of this development and how it will affect our watershed and the streams in their area which flow into the White River from Piney Creek. The City of Calico Rock is considering drilling 3 wells for this company.

Quarry mines usually become big holes in the ground. Large scale quarry mining could change the entire character of our area. The Quorum Court should take action immediately to slow this process down until they can determine exactly what is going to happen and assure there is no risk to our water and property."

According to an informal poll on the website of the White River Current newspaper, 21 people have voted in favor of the sand mine so far, and 136 have voted against it.

Please visit these websites for more information:
Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers blog
Article from The Baxter Bulletin newspaper, October 19, 2009: Applications almost ready for new mine site near Calico Rock
Article from The Baxter Bulletin newspaper, October 8, 2009: Sand mining consultants meet with Calico Rock Residents

TAKE ACTION:

Contact the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and voice your concerns:
ADEQ Email Form
Teresa Marks, Director
5301 Northshore Drive
North Little Rock, AR 72118-5317
(501) 682-0744
For Local Field Office Contact Info, click HERE.

Calico Rock Mayor and City Council Members:

Ronnie Guthrie 297-8786

Lynna Stanley is 291-3769

Greg Hamby 297-8879

Charles Francis at the paper 297-3010

Darrell Brown 297-8556

Cindy Wildhagen 297-8542

Steve Marsee 297-2756
Fred Blickle 297-4244

Natural Food Delivery in Harrison, Arkansas

Azure Standard, an Oregon-based company specializing in bulk natural food, recently added Harrison to their midwest delivery route. Azure's goal is to provide once-a-month delivery of items they offer in their extensive catalog, including: bulk dried goods (beans, grains, baking supplies, and livestock feed); a large selection of non-perishable groceries; and even frozen, refrigerated, and fresh produce items that are not available via standard UPS delivery.

Lori Tauer of Harrison is coordinating a regional cooperative of people who are interested in taking advantage of this unique opportunity. Tauer reports that the first delivery on September 24^th went well. “I think everyone that was there to pick up their order was satisfied,” she says.

If you're interested in learning more, contact Azure Standard representative Diane Pennington for detailed information and ordering instructions. Her email address is penningtonfam@yahoo.com, and her phone number is 1-417-296-0052.

Pennington is enthusiastic about the success of this venture, and foresees expansion if order volume continues to grow. “Hopefully, in the near future we will be able to include Mountain Home on the delivery route too.”

The order deadline for the next delivery is October 20^th. Visit Azure Standard's website to browse their online catalog at www.azurestandard.com.

Tell the USDA GE Frankenfoods & Nanotechnology Aren't Organic!

A report issued by the USDA Foreign Agriculture Information Network, "The Unexplored Potential of Organic-Biotech Production," argues that "Governments should change their regulations to allow producers to gain organic certification for biotech crops grown with organic methods."Please take action to (1) oppose the USDA's attempt to promote genetic engineering as potentially organic and (2) push the National Organic Standards Board to take a strong stand against the use of nanotechnology in organic. Genetic engineering and nanotechnology aren't organic!

You can contact Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack or use the Organic Consumer Association's handy form by clicking HERE and scrolling through the "Action Alert."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE (arguably absurd) USDA REPORT