- What is sand frac mining?
Frac mining is short for hydraulic
fracturing, which is the pumping of small specific sized grains of quartz sand
that are suspending in liquid into oil or gas wells under immense pressure.
As the liquid flows into the fractures, the
sand particles are forced into the cracks and prop them open and allow the
inside materials to be more easily extracted.
In order to access these areas typical oil or
gas wells must be drilled and then explosives are used to create small cracks
in the rocks below. The sand grains used for such operations are generally
found in sandstone formations in western and central Wisconsin due to their
ideal surface exposure and purity, along with having much less angular pieces
than sites such as beaches or river banks which are unfit to be used in
fracking.
The eastern and southern parts
of the state are not so easily accessible due to the sandstone’s lack of
exposure to the surface.
After being
mined out the sand is usually processed locally and after a thorough wash it is
sorted into grain sizes usable for hydrofracking. Hydraulic fracturing has
been used for over 60 years but more recent technologies have allowed the use
of much more sophisticated techniques such as directional boring. Newer
techniques have also made fracking much more lucrative and economical, thus
increasing the demand for necessary materials such as frac sand.
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| http://curiousterrain.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/frac-sand-in-wisconsin/ |
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| http://sierraclubillinois.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/protecting-illinois-from-fracking/ |
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What are some of the issues associated with sand
frac mining in Western Wisconsin?
As
with any mining operation there are numerous negative effects on the
surrounding environment including air pollution, water pollution, noise
pollution, destruction of environmental habitats, and impact on nearby property
values.
Air pollution can be caused by two types of emissions; one from the dust
created by the mining and handling of the frac sand, and the second from the mining
equipment and transportation vehicles.
Water pollution can be caused by
the mined materials stored in stockpiles that when it rains will have runoff
that may be introduced into local water supplies or bodies of water like lakes
or wetlands. Fisheries can also be affected by the runoff and negatively
impacted.
Noise pollution can be caused by
the extensive array of machinery that is used at mining sites and if located
near any residential areas or even isolated places of residence can be a major
irritation to the locals. Nearby wildlife will also be affected by the noise
levels and will seek to move away from the source if it persists for an
extended period of time.
Some level of destruction of the environment at the frac mining site is
unavoidable due to removal of trees to accommodate the space for the mining
site, equipment and storage. After mining has concluded there is often a restoration
plan in place to reclaim the land for nature and restore some of the habitat
that was there prior, although full restoration is always impossible
considering the changes in soil depth and profile, depth of groundwater, and
the overall topography.
The socioeconomic impact on the surrounding area is nigh unavoidable and
can be caused by such things as noise pollution from mining equipment and
transportation, increased traffic on local roads and the deterioration of them
from over use, unwanted visual lines of sight from neighboring locals, and
light disturbances from night mining
operations.
All of these factors can
lead into loss of property value and deterioration of the local area as a
whole.
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Overview of how GIS will be used to further
explore some of these issues as part of a class project.
Using the ArcGIS program we will
be taking a closer look at the inner workings of frac mining and numerous
issues that it presents. As an end goal we will be working towards creating a
functional and accurate sustainability/risk model that corresponds to the sand
mining occurring in western Wisconsin. By the end I hope to have built a greater
understanding of the current situation of hydraulic fracturing for myself and
along the way learn invaluable geospatial skills.
Works cited:
Wisconsin Geological And Natural History Survey.
Frac Sand in Wisconsin (Factsheet 05) (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
http://wcwrpc.org/frac-sand-factsheet.pdf
Roy, Arindam. "Breaking the Shackles: Kol Tribal Labourers."
Economic and Political Weekly 35.6 (2000): 425-26. Web.
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/documents/SilicaSandMiningFinal.pdf
Peeples, Lynne. "Frac Sand Rush Threatens American Towns, Advocates Warn."
The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Sept. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
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