Frac sand mining in Minnesota now has its own website.
Six state agencies created a single portal to their frac sand activities and rulemaking around the controversial and fast-growing industry. With so much interest statewide, officials said the site is geared toward easier navigation of the complex and fast-moving regulatory landscape. In particular, the website will help people interested in what the state is doing to develop new rules for managing and permitting silica sand projects.
The website, silicasand.mn.gov, provides links to each of the state agencies involved with making the new rules or managing activities involved with the mining, transportation and processing of silica sand. They include the Environmental Quality Board (EQB), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Pollution Control Agency (PCA), Department of Health, Department of Transportation, and Department of Agriculture.
"The growth of frac sand mining in Minnesota has presented complex environmental and economic issues," said Dave Frederickson, chair of the EQB and commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. "Governor Dayton is directing our agencies to work closely together to streamline the details of our efforts on behalf of Minnesotans."
The agencies named to do rulemaking in the legislation are the EQB, DNR and PCA. The other agencies don't have specific rule responsibilities but were included in the new website because they are closely tied with some issues in the silica sand industry.
--Josephine Marcotty • 612-673-7394
