State approves new frac sand mining standards

The state's Environmental Quality Board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a new set of standards that local governments can use to regulate the frac sand industry.

• More: New standards will aid industry, local communities, officials say

The voluntary standards address a wide range of issues, including the effect of mining operations on air quality, noise level, roads and bridges.

Environmentalists largely supported the document, but said the guidelines should have included options for local governments to enact outright bans on silica sand mining.

Former state Rep. Ken Tschumper of La Crescent told the board that the guidelines didn't go far enough.

"Nowhere are there any tools for local governments to use in developing local ordinances, if they wanted, to prohibit silica sand mining," Tschumper said. "I would argue that there could have been."

Silica sand is abundant in southeastern Minnesota and is a crucial ingredient in the oil and natural gas extraction process known as fracking.

Industry officials largely supported the standards, but objected to a recommendation that sand be stored in enclosed facilities.

"We really find it hard to prove there's a need for certain standards in this document that don't exist in current permits that are deemed to adequately provide for public health and safety," said Brett Skilbred director of project development at Jordan Sands.