Dozens of concerned Monroe County, Wisconsin, residents are mobilizing to convince their county government that it’s wasting its time spending months drafting a frac sand mine regulation when what the overwhelming majority of the county’s residents want is a locally enforceable Community Rights frac sand mine ban ordinance. In fact, the group has already successfully convinced the county to post the group’s proposed ban ordinance on the county website. Community Rights US founding director Paul Cienfuegos was in Sparta on May 20 to support their efforts, and audio recorded the group’s testimony and full committee discussion. Numerous 3″ public comments start at XX. Committee deliberations start at XX.
Here’s the May 23 story from their local newspaper, Monroe County Herald.
A group of around two dozen residents Monday threw a wrinkle in the Monroe County Zoning Committee’s attempt to draft a sand mining ordinance.
The group has submitted its own proposed ordinance, which calls for banning any new sand mines in Monroe County and prohibiting the expansion of existing ones.
While Zoning Committee Chairman Doug Path refused to let the group bring up the ban during discussion of the ordinance because it wasn’t on the agenda, they were allowed to address the issue during the meeting’s public comment period.
Group members cited potential health problems, quality of life issues and falling land values as some of the problems associated with sand mines. There also was a recurring theme of how policy is geared toward protecting the rights monied interests at the expense of communities.
Sparta resident Skip Frazee said he was tired of corporations being given the legal right to harm our communities, while Curtis Miller, also of Sparta, didn’t think citizens’ voices were being heard or represented. MORE…
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