Should lawmakers create a statewide standard for frac sand mining?
In hydraulic fracturing, a sand made from quartz rock plentiful in our region is blasted into shale rock to extract oil and natural gas. Skyrocketing demand for frac sand, a key ingredient in North Dakota's energy boom, is creating a gold rush in the hills of southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin.
Local communities have regulated the practice for years, but now state lawmakers are questioning the ability of local governments to manage the process effectively. Today's Question: Should lawmakers create a statewide standard for frac sand mining?
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