George Bartmess and James Hardy are listed on the original 2007 mining application as principles in B&H Resources, LLC. An LLC is a “limited liability company” that protects the owners’ individually for liability for damages caused by the company. Hardy is now a principal in the newly created Evergreen Resources LLC, a corporation pursuing the same purposes as the original B&H Resources, LLC.
The new frac sand mine quarry and plant, planned by Evergreen, is called Twin Mountain. It is located at the headwaters of Bailey and Perogue Creek that feed Mill and Piney Creeks before flowing into the White River.
In addition to mining, Evergreen intends to process sand via a system that will draw approximately 400,000 gallons of water a day from the Ozark Aquifer that is already challenged in other areas according to studies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Recent results of a 3 year survey conclude the aquifer could go dry in the Joplin area if demand increases by as little as one percent a year over the next 50 years. With a four percent annual increase in pumping rates, water would not be sustainable from the aquifer near Joplin and Miami, Oklahoma. The study also notes that groundwater levels have dropped as much as 400 to 500 feet in some parts of the aquifer since 1960. See the study here.
Given the quantity of water usage planned, what will happen in our area which is part of the Ozark Aquifer? Where will the “waste water” end up after it’s used?