A quarry with frac sand capabilities has been proposed on public land in Utah’s Uinta Basin just outside Dinosaur National Monument, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. For years, the basin’s drillers have imported sand from Wisconsin.
Now nearby sources of sand are under development, including the Playa Sand Project, hardly 1.5 miles from Dinosaur’s western boundary where a Colorado-based LLC called Leverite holds mining claims on 393 acres of public land, according to a “scoping notice” posted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which has initiated an environmental review.
To be developed by a company called Uinta Basin Sand LLC, the Playa Sand Project could be operating as soon as the end of this year. The company would construct 7,700 ft. of roads within the project areas.
The BLM is accepting public comments through Aug. 26 and will host an open house for the project Aug. 10 at Vernal’s Uintah Conference Center from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The agency expects to issue a decision in September.