County supervisors ask questions, take no action on Community Rights request

The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors is a little more than halfway through an 18-month moratorium on issuing permits for frac sand mining operations--a moratorium put in place to give supervisors time to study the issue.

Supervisors Dennis Karlsbroten and Dean Thompson have led the county board's research on the issue.  The two supervisors listen to the presentation on Monday morning and asked a few questions, but gave no indication of whether they would support a permanent ban on frac sand mining.

County Board Cahri John Logsdon asked several questions, not about the frac sand issue itself, but about the county's ability or lack of ability to pass the proposed ordinance.  Logsdon question Luce as to where the county's authority stops and the state's authority begins.  "If this ever comes to a showdown, the state wins," said Logsdon.  Canoe Township resident Birgitte Meade responded, "That doesn't mean we shouldn't try."  And Steve Luse suggested the backers of the ordinance would welcome a court challenge by the state, saying "We want that struggle in court."