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Frac Sand Mining In Izard County

 

Following is a general overview of the sand mining issue. We will continue to add links regarding the specific mining sites that are proposed, the issues we face and the permitting process. There will be opportunities for public comments and we will let you know when and how you can comment, along with “talking points” that we think are important. Much of this is still a work in progress at this point.


 It is now clear that  additional large frac sand operations are developing in Izard and several nearby counties. Like hydraulic frac mining itself, the State of Arkansas and our counties are NOT prepared to evaluate and manage the risks we face when companies with limited liability for their owners plan to remove the tops of our Ozark Hills and use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day. (Here’s an animation of horizontal drilling (fracing) that shows how the sand is used. 


Why is sand mining suddenly an issue in Izard County?  The silica sand in Izard and surrounding counties is a scarce and very valuable commodity because it is used in oil and gas wells to enlarge openings to facilitate recovery of these resources.

 

The increased focus on U.S. sources of energy (like natural gas mining in Arkansas) has transformed sand mining in this area into a potentially lucrative business.  As of October 2009 there are three large sand mining operations (existing or planned) in Izard County and two in Independence County. An additional new sand mining operation near Calico Rock (Calico Sand) was announced at the January 2010 Calico Rock City Council meeting. Unimin Corporation in Guion is expanding their production by 700% according to Reuters. Bluebird Sand Plant in Mount Pleasant and Evergreen Processing, LLC near Calico Rock have applied for various permits. White Horse Rider near Batesville and Specialty Sands near Salado have applied for initial permits in Independence County.

 

Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers has not taken an official position on these proposed developments, but  they have significant concerns due to as yet unresolved issues regarding aquifer draws and wastewater discharges into creeks and streams.  They have asked for public hearing when available and hearings have been granted with regard to Unimin and Bluebird. No date has been set for Unimin, but a hearing on Bluebird’s application for an NPDES Water Permit was held on December 3, 2009 (see the permit application here). The discovery that construction at the site had started even though no permits had been issued led citizens to request an ADEQ review of the situation.  An ADEQ inspection of Bluebird in December of 2009 found four violations of state water protections laws(download report (long) here).  Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers issued a press release regarding this report on January 25 (see the press release here).

 

The concern about increased sand mining in the county is based on several factors.  The initial red flag was the permit application by Evergreen Processing. LLC and the realization that this company was simply a reorganization and name change of the same organization that had caused extensive damage to Mill and Piney Creeks in 2008.   If large numbers of sand mines are established, how will that affect the fundamental character of the area? An additional concern is the fact that two sand mining/quarry operations in Izard county have violated the law that are designed to require good management practices.  Unless the consequences are real and sufficient to deter potential offenders and inspire compliance on the front end, why should the new sand mines/quarries bother to follow the rules?

 

Some areas of concern are listed below.  Information in the links was provided as part of the February 2010 Izard County Quorum Court presentation (see the overview of the presentation here):