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.