Winona Co. imposes moratorium on frack sand mining

Fracking sand
The Unimin sand is prized by the fracking industry because the individual grains are very hard and round.
MPR Photo/Mark Steil

Winona County commissioners have imposed a three-month moratorium on sand mining.

The vote Tuesday was close. Board members voted 3-2 to follow a recommendation from the county Planning Department on the three-month moratorium in order to give county staff more time to research several issues and concerns including the impact of increased truck traffic on county roads and land use.

The vote on the moratorium came after board members denied three conditional use permits for sand mining operations in Saratoga Township. Board members said the applicants could reapply following the end of the moratorium.

KAGE radio says Winona County joins both Wabasha and Goodhue counties which have also placed moratoriums on sand mining. However, those two counties enacted one-year moratoriums. ___ Information from: KAGE-AM, http://www.winonaradio.com (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)