Response to Jim Maloney's Letter to Editor on frac sand mining

I am grateful to read Jim Maloney's letter and his concerns about frac sand mining (FSM), as well as input from someone who has direct experience in 'reclaiming' the land.

I would like to point out that I believe Jim has not spoken with anyone in the Community RIghts Alliance of Winneshiek County (CRA). His comments state that we may be unaware that silica sand mining has been occurring for years. On the contrary, we are very well aware of it which is why our ordinance is focused on Industrial Frac sand mining.

The working members of the CRA are well informed and knowledgeable about the process of FSM, which is why we feel so strongly about keeping industrial FSM from coming into our community and area. It is a highly destructive process from which the land can never be truly 'reclaimed'. It is not possible to truly reclaim a natural system and all of its biota that have been totally obliterated. This is well known by scientists.

Iowa has less than 1% of its natural land base intact. Much of the remaining scenic and wild lands belong to NE Iowa, which is why so many flock here to recreate, bringing in tens of millions of dollars annually  to Winneshiek County alone. Why would we begin to debase the little remaining natural landscape we have? We find this to be unacceptable and with no regard for future generations.

The ultimate costs of FSM far outweigh the short term benefits. There was a study conducted reviewing the economic costs and benefits of frac sand mining in West Central WI, which you can find here: http://www.iatp.org/files/2013_05_30_FracSandMining_f.pdf
The number of FSM mines in WI has dramatically increased in the past few years from under 10 to well over 100 with many applications for permits awaiting approval. This is  large scale and the negative effects are impossible to avoid if you live in an area inundated by the sand rush. The regulatory agencies cannot keep up and violations occur regularly. In 2012, according to wisconsinwatch.org nearly ⅕ of the 70 operating FSM mines were cited for environmental citations. Companies are forced to shortcut in order to keep up and to maximize profits. The sole legal responsibility that a corporate entity holds is to maximize profits for shareholders. Nothing else.

With all of this in mind, we are advocating for a Community Bill of Rights. Current law states that communities across the country do not have the right to choose how they may use their natural resources, despite our State Constitution and the U.S. Declaration of Independence declaring that all power is inherent in the people. If a corporation wants to come into a community and extract resources or engage in activities that are not welcome by the community at large, they have the legal right to do so as we cannot interfere with their 'right' to commerce. We the People are then left to fend for ourselves to fight within the regulatory structure that is ostensibly designed to regulate the very corporations committing the harm. In essence, this means that rather than being able to decide what our future looks like, we have to fight to see what we can get out of the system, which is to lessen or slow harm, not to stop it. We assert that we have the right to ban those harms if the majority finds it necessary to protect our common future. After all, we live here. This is our future, and our say, and it is our duty to protect our resources for future generations.

There are opportunities to learn more in depth about what we are doing and ways to get involved. To find out more visit: 'Community Rights Alliance of Winneshiek County' on Facebook, or go to our website:

www.communityrightsalliance.org

Jono Ruf, Decorah IA