More than 100 people attended a meeting of the Houston County, Minn., Planning Commission during which the commission reviewed a zoning amendment proposed by the Houston County Protectors (HCP), a group which opposes the establishment of frac sand mining in the county. According to the Spring Grove Herald, the planning commission voted 5 to 2 to withhold its stamp of approval for the amendment, which if approved would have altered the mineral extraction section of the county’s zoning ordinance. According to HCP members, the proposal would: A) ban frac sand mining in Houston County, B) require non-conforming mines to come into compliance with local regulations, and C) update the county’s procedures for handling mining complaints.
Athabasca Minerals Inc. announced that Dom Kriangkum has resigned from the board of directors to pursue a personal opportunity unrelated to the industrial minerals sector. Kriangkum will be available to the corporation in a consulting capacity in the future. Athabasca thanked Kriangkum for his time and dedication in the development and management of the corporation’s portfolio of industrial mineral projects. Kriangkum built a strong team to continue the development of Athabasca and its projects which includes corporate aggregate operations, the Susan Lake management contract, Firebag frac sand project and the Richardson aggregate project.
Progressive Rail is halting efforts to expand in the Town of Eagle Point, Wis. The company was paying for a traffic study before moving forward with a proposed nine-track rail yard and possible bypass. Progressive Rail originally wanted to increase train traffic to meet frac sand demands, but put those plans on hold because low oil prices slowed frac sand shipments. Eagle Point residents had voiced opposition to the expansion, fearful of noise, potential derailments and loss of agricultural land, according to WQOW news.
