Last week I attended an environmental meeting at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources headquarters in Jefferson City. The subject of frac sand mining in Missouri was brought up. It seems that the sand found in the St. Peter Sandstone formation in Missouri is just the right size and shape for fracking.  Speculators are now buying up Missouri land containing sandstone formations. The latest 20 acre purchase in Missouri netted the land owner 10 times the normal price per acre. 

Frac Sand

Frac sand is the rounded sort of sand grains needed to harvest natural gas from shale. The fracking process uses sand mixed with water and chemicals to blast into the shale rock formations, and the sand particles help hold open fractures in the rock, letting the gas escape. Areas where there are natural gas pockets buried within the shale rock deep under the earth's surface, are seeing a fracking boon. Here in the Midwest, places that have an abundance of easily accessible frac sand are experiencing a rush to mine. 

Frac Sand mining operation

I found an article that stated: "It's a gold rush," said Thomas Dolley, mineral commodity specialist at the US Geological Survey. "Demand for 'frac sand' is jumping through the roof." In 2010, US frac sand production doubled to 13 million tons as drilling activity increased and new mines opened, Mr. Dolley said. Hydraulic fracturing consumed about 40% of U.S. industrial sand output last year, up from 27% in 2009. Annual demand for frac sand has since soared further to about 22 million tons. Each drilling job can swallow up to 10 million pounds of sand." 

Pacific MO, old sandstone mine entrance

About a year ago, the Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers posted on their web page information on frac sand mining in Izard County, AR. Some of the issues Friends see with frac sand mining include: 

• Water - depletion of the aquifer
• Water - discharge of waste water into creeks
• Risks to fish and wildlife habitat
• Possible additional erosion of streambanks from non-normal wastewater discharges and higher stormwater runoffs from cleared lands into creeks
• Air - dangers of silica dust causing silicosis
• Truck traffic
• Tourism and Economic Impacts
• Risks to workers
• Reclamation/Restoration after mining
• Noise and light
• Property Values

Frac Sand Mining Pits

Wisconsin and Minnesota are already experiencing a boom in frac sand mining, which according to some, is resulting in a brighter economic outlook for some communities. While new jobs and economic gains are good, we must insure that steps are taken to protect the environment. Wisconsin state lawmakers are now working on the first frac sand mining regulations in their state. It might be a good time for Arkansas and Missouri to insure our laws and regulations are adequate to protect our natural resources.

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Water quality criteria are not regulations.  As a result, states can on their own initiative develop and/or adopt water quality criteria to protect water quality uses.  Of course, the water quality criteria developed by a state must be scientifically defensible (i.e. protective of the designated uses of the bodies of the water).

The federal EPA has announced in a December 21 Federal Register Notice the availability of a draft document titled Recreational Water Quality Criteria. The federal agency states that the document contains draft ambient water quality criteria recommendations for protecting human health in ambient waters that are designated for primary contact recreation.  This draft document is stated to describe the relevant scientific findings, and explain how these findings are used to derive criteria, and list the water quality methods associated with the criteria.  It apparently differs from the current 1986 document in a number of ways.

A copy of the Federal Register Notice can be downloaded  HERE

WaterSense

A U.S. EPA Partnership Program   

WaterSense, a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services.

WaterSense brings together a variety of stakeholders to:

• Promote the value of water efficiency.
• Provide consumers with easy ways to save water, as both a label for products and an information resource to help people use water more efficiently.
• Encourage innovation in manufacturing.
• Decrease water use and reduce strain on water resources and infrastructure.

The program seeks to help consumers make smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance. Products and services that have earned the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance.

If one in every 10 homes in the United States were to install WaterSense labeled faucets or faucet accessories in their bathrooms, it could save 6 billion gallons of water per year, and more than $50 million in the energy costs to supply, heat, and treat that water! Learn more about how you can save water and help WaterSense make a positive impact.