Letter: Unimin will stand by its agreement

Recently there has been a lot of discussion in Madison, throughout the state, and in the press about the so-called "Frac Sand Mining Bill" (SB 349) and its effect on local governmental and municipal control.

Read more in the Lacrosse Tribune.

Good jobs hang in the balance of Minnesota's frac sand debate

For a high school graduate who wanted nothing to do with college, Greg Stepka says, the limestone pit at Bryan Rock Products in Shakopee was a perfect refuge. He started in 1981 at $11.36 an hour and now makes almost triple that amount - plus full health insurance and pension benefits.

Read more in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Minnesota's frac sand mining rules already outweigh Wisconsin's

Doug Losee can sum up the differences between Minnesota's and Wisconsin's frac sand mining regulations by describing how much room the two states' environmental studies take up in his office.

"The Minnesota files really take up a bookcase. And for the most part, Wisconsin I can fit in filing cabinet," said Losee, who oversees environmental regulations for Mankato-based Unimin Corp.'s sand mines in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Read more at Minnesota Public Radio.

Q & A: Understanding frac sand with Minn.'s Chief Geologist

Minnesota's Chief Geologist Tony Runkel of the Minnesota Geological Survey discusses sand deposits and mining operations in the state. Local communities currently determine the fate of mining applications, but some state lawmakers would like a more uniform statewide standard to sand mining which has grown significantly since 2010.

Read the questions and answers at Minnesota Public Radio.