Town Passes Nonmetallic Mining Law

After a nine-month moratorium on frac sand mining, the Clifton, Wis., Town Board adopted a nonmetallic mining licensing law at its June 4 meeting, according to the Pierce County Herald. Nolan Wall of Stevens Engineers in Hudson explained during a public hearing that demand for frac sand and its availability in this region has forced towns to be proactive instead of reactive.

The Planning Commission hosted monthly meetings while writing the law with the help of Stevens Engineers. It recommended to the Town Board that the law be adopted at its May meeting. The law covers licensing and renewal procedures for operators and performance standards, among other things.

Performance standards include monitoring hours of operation, noise, lighting, groundwater and air quality, safety, bonding requirements (especially for town roads) and many others. Existing nonmetallic mining operations will be “grandfathered” in under the law as long as their reclamation plans don’t change and the business doesn’t change hands, Wall said.

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