SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, May 9th a big conference for frac-sand activists will be held in Lake City MN, for people from our entire region, both sides of Mississippi.

You Showed Up. You Spoke Up. You Made a Difference. Now What?

You Showed Up. You Spoke Up. You Made a Difference. Now What?

A Conference for   Frac Sand Activists:  Networking, Learning, Advocating

Join citizen volunteers from both sides of the Mississippi River for a day of network building and information exchange. Whether you are new to the issue or an experienced advocate, this conference is for you.  We are all working to protect our communities from the adverse impacts of industrial-scale silica sand mining, processing and transport. At the conference you will meet citizens and hear success stories from all over the region. You will leave with ideas that you can use in your own community.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

8:30 AM to 3:30 PM

St. Mary of the Lake Church

419 West Lyon Ave. (Hwy. 63), Lake City, MN 55041

Located 3 blocks from Hwy. 61 on Hwy. 63.

$15 includes lunch and breaks

Registration information below

Presentations and Speakers

Keynote. S. Margaret Galiardi, OP. Grounded in years of personal engagement in the struggle for justice for both people and planet, S. Margaret will set our efforts to resist frac sand mining in the context of the Universe's struggle to become more conscious of itself.  As each of us reaches deeply within to summon the energy needed for this task, it is ours to go beyond "angry activism" to encounter the force that, even now, 13.8 billion years after its emergence, propels the Universe toward greater elegance. Together we will explore how fidelity to this challenge can call forth new depths of personal, communal and structural integrity, as in the effort to safeguard the 495 million-year-old sandstone of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the region comes home to itself. S. Margaret is Dominican Sister from Amityville, New York, who lectures and gives retreats around the country with an emphasis on ecological spirituality. She is the author of Where the Pure Water Flows and Encountering Mystery in the Wilderness: One Woman's Vision Quest. While she worked at Villa Maria Center in Frontenac, she was actively engaged in advocacy for clean water in the Lake Pepin watershed.

Where We Are Today. Speaker to be Announced. PowerPoint presentation of the current status of legislation, regulations, State Rules and in Minnesota and Wisconsin and the status of permit applications throughout the region. NOTE: ??consider a Trempealeau County speaker??

Strategies for Advocacy. Any Nelson, PhD, and Keith Fossen. Your community needs to become a sophisticated RGU. Learn how to advocate effectively during the local permitting process when timelines are tight and deadlines are firm. Find out the difference between a EAW, EIS, CUP and a Development Agreement and how zoning and comprehensive planning underpin the whole process. Find out what is going on behind the scenes (staff and professional review and meetings with the applicant’s representatives). It’s important to understand your rights as a citizen, the importance of comment periods and the legal standing of various decisions. Learn the what to expect from experts and the importance of diligence in checking credentials, asking for disclosure of conflicts and relationships and checking references. [NOTE THAT SOME OF THIS MIGHT BELONG IN THE “CONTINUED” SESSION RATHER THAN HERE.]  _____[brief bio]____ Nelson and Fossen recently served on the Minnesota Silica Sand Rule-Making Advisory Panel.

Ups and Downs of Frac Sand Mining. Speaker TBD._____[information about the industry – where its at - in both WI and MN; include economic impact, supply & demand]____[brief bio]___

Strategies for Advocacy Continued. Wendy Ward (invited). More strategies for effective advocacy including how to cultivate political will and win the political game, how to use conventional and social media, and how to engage and support volunteers. _____[brief bio]______.

What the State Can and Cannot Do. Kristen Eide-Tollifson (invited). An update of the status of State Rules adoption - what they cover and what is left to local units of government. Find out who has enforcement responsibility._____[brief bio]___.

What’s Next? Panel of Citizen Advocates. Get ready for the next phase of advocacy. Experienced local advocates will share examples of the most effective strategies they used in their own community and we will ask them to give us an example of a new idea that they will try in the future. Q&A will follow.

Summary and Closing. Margaret Galiardi, OP. Sr. Margaret will call out the key points made throughout the day and leave us inspired for the work ahead.

Breakout Sessions and Speakers

Legal Options for Restricting or Banning Silica Sand Mining by Ordinance. William Mavity. Are you thinking of restricting or banning sand mining by ordinance? In this session you will learn how it's accomplished politically and why it is defensible in court. Mavity is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer and has argued and won cases involving issues of constitutional law before the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.  Now retired and living in Pepin County, WI, Mavity served on the Pepin County Board from 2011 to 2014.  He is Chair of Lake Pepin Partners in Preservation, Inc., (LPPP) which was instrumental in drafting and obtaining passage in 2013 of the Pepin County Overlay Zoning Ordinance banning all frac sand operations in the Great River Road Corridor along Lake Pepin.

Options for Legal Intervention. Carol A. Overland.  Citizens have the right to take legal action and sometimes it’s the best option or the only option. Learn how to find an attorney and what strategies to use when you need to go that route. Learn the importance of checking credentials and asking for conflict of interest disclosure. __[brief bio]__. Overland specializes in utility regulatory and land use advocacy

Handling Traffic. Speaker to be Announced. Sand mining impacts roads and traffic. Find out what you can do to protect public safety and the public pocketbook when the industry proposes a project that impacts your community. Learn the basics of civil engineer lingo, when to ask for a traffic study and what to do with the information once you have it. __??mention rail transit???___??mention the McGregor,Iowa experience??_____[brief bio]_____

Earth and Human Connections. S. Margaret Galiardi, OP. Join S. Margaret for conversation expanding on the message of the Keynote.

Maintaining Air Quality. Student Speaker to be Announced and Crispin Pierce, Ph.D. ____basics of air quality, emissions associated with the mining, processing and transport of silica sand and how exposure can be mitigated at facilities and in the environment____[brief bio]____is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Air Quality Monitoring Research. Crispin Pierce, Ph.D. _____[description of the latest research at the University of Wisconsin and at other institutions along with industry, include ongoing research and emerging issues, etc.]____ [brief bio]_______

Hydrology of the Driftless Area. Larry Gates. The hydrologic system of our region functioned beautifully before Euro-American settlement. Learn how human activity impacted the system and what needs to happen for system restoration. Find out what the Paleozoic Plateau is and what makes the driftless region of Minnesota and Wisconsin so uniquely sensitive to water pollution. ____[Maybe pair Larry with Jeff Green for the specific water impacts of mining.] ___[bio]__Aquatic Biologist (retired), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Rehabilitating Mining Sites. Katie Himanga, CF. Learn what you need to know about reclamation plans, local natural and cultural resources, what to advocate for during the permitting process, and what to watch for once mining is underway. Modern, science-based rehabilitation goes beyond stable and green slopes, and considers restoration of ecological function and landscape character. Himanga is a Certified Forester and long-time environmental advocate. She has a degree in forest resources from the University of Minnesota, served as Mayor of the City of Lake City from 2004-2008, and recently served on the Minnesota Silica Sand Rule-Making Advisory Panel.

Choosing Your Battles. Speaker to be Announced. Channeling your emotions into effective advocacy

The conference is hosted by Save the Bluffs of Red Wing and Lake City, Minnesota and made possible by a grant from Save the Hills Alliance of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Learn more at: sites.google.com/site/savethebluffs

To Register

Send this information to Save the Bluffs, PO Box 296, Red Wing, MN 55066, along with a check for $15 payable to: Save the Bluffs. We won’t use this information for anything other than the conference.

Name: ____________________________________

City:______________________________________

State: ____________________________________

E-mail ____________________________________

Phone:____________________________________

To help us plan, tell us which breakout sessions are you most likely to attend:

___Legal Options for Restricting or Banning Mining

___Options for Legal Intervention

___Handling Traffic

___Earth and Human Connections

___Maintaining Air Quality

___Air Quality Monitoring Research

___Hydrology of the Driftless Area

___Rehabilitating Mining Sites

___Choosing Your Battles.

Proposed Minnesota state legislation establishes a self-appointed board of corporate ag interests that oversees millions in public funds.

Bill Would Put Corporate Ag Interests in Charge of Millions of Public Dollars

Proposed Minnesota state legislation establishes a self-appointed board of corporate ag interests that oversees millions in public funds. The House Omnibus Ag Finance Bill (House File 1437) aims to put corporate ag interests in charge of millions in public funds with no accountability. The bill creates the “Agriculture, Research, Education, Extension, and Technology Transfer Fund” and establishes a board that controls the funding. This board is made up primarily of corporate ag and commodity groups that appoint their own representatives to the board. This self-appointed board controls these public funds and the bill has no provisions for transparency or accountability.

The fund focuses on productivity, not sustainability. The bill directs the funds to focus on “investments that will most efficiently achieve long-term agricultural productivity . ” Directing research dollars to focus only on productivity, with no regard for stewardship of our land and water or profitability for farmers, is bad policy. This language needs to say “productivity and sustainability.”

It’s hard to believe such a bad idea could get so far. This is such a bad idea that the Star Tribune newspaper on Monday wrote a major editorial opposing the idea: "New Minnesota ag board would set troubling precedent." The editorial says, in part, “Essentially, the legislation creates a pot of public money and turns it over to interest group representatives with vague language about how it could be spent.”

Take action now to let your legislators know that you don’t want special interests put in charge of public dollars.

Act Now to Stop Legislation that Puts Corporate Ag Interests in Charge of Millions of Public Dollars

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*April 15 - EQB Mtg - carpool arrangements etc.

Hi folks,

LSP will not be renting a bus for this event.

 I will work to arrange carpools, though, and there is a possibility we could rent a van if enough people want to go together. I plan to go and could drive, but can only take 3 other people in my car. Please let me know if you would be interested in carpooling from either Lewiston or Winona.

Here is the link to the EQB packet with the agenda for the meeting and the current draft proposed rules: https://www.eqb.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/documents/EQB%20Silica%20Sand%20Subcomittee%20Mtg_4-15.pdf 

Bobby will be sharing LSP's comments on the proposed rules soon -- there are several areas where we think improvements are needed. If you would like any help preparing your comments for the meeting, feel free to give Bobby a call at 612-722-6377.

EQB staff confirmed to me today [April 7] that Minnesota Sands, LLC, still has not submitted any new data about their proposal, and so will not be presenting at this meeting. Instead, the entire meeting will be state agency updates on the rulemaking and then public comment.

Please let me or Bobby know if you have questions.

Thanks,

Johanna

Johanna Rupprecht

Policy Organizer

Land Stewardship Project

Lewiston, MN

507-523-3366

jrupprecht@landstewardshipproject.org

There are two key players who need to hear from you today: Call Senator Ron Wyden and Amy Klobuchar NOW!

There are two key players who need to hear from you today:

1. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, where the Senate fast track bill would be introduced. He has a significant amount of influence over the outcome of fast track. 

2. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has not decided which way to vote on fast track. Her vote is especially important because she sits on the President's Export Council of the International Trade Administration. 

Call Senator Ron Wyden and Amy Klobuchar NOW!Land Stewardship

Stop Fast Track & the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Calls are needed NOW! A top priority for many multi-national corporations is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Agreement, which encompasses 12 countries located around the Pacific Ocean: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and Brunei. Although the TPP is presented as a way to increase exports by eliminating trade barriers, the reality is that this trade agreement goes far beyond that by granting unwarranted privileges to huge corporations, undermining local safeguards and threatening our food system.

Background Information:

• A Lack of Transparency: Currently, the TPP is being negotiated in secret. None of the text has been made publicly available by the negotiators involved — details have only come out through leaked documents. Only government trade officials and some 600 mostly “corporate advisers” have access to the text. Even our members of Congress are without a seat at the table. So while the corporate elite have full access, the American people have been completely shut out.

• Limiting the Voice of American People: To make matters worse, President Barack Obama is seeking “fast track” authority to speed up negotiations and further limit public input. Fast track would remove Congress’ ability to change the TPP, if it’s ever finalized, and only allow for a “yes” or “no” vote on whatever is developed, with almost no public scrutiny. Forcing Congress to vote on an agreement this complex without adequate time for open hearings, review and public scrutiny will only ensure that this agreement is designed to favor multinational corporations — not farmers, workers or consumers.

• Undermining Local Control and the Democratic Process: One of the most troublesome aspects of the TPP is a clause called the “investor state dispute resolution.” Through this clause, corporations could be granted the legal authority, just like a country, to file a lawsuit against government municipalities if that corporation felt local laws impeded “expected future profits.” That means if local ordinances or state laws that protect our health, property and way of life are "standing in the way" of corporate profits, that corporation could sue for millions of taxpayer dollars in private international trade courts. In Minnesota, this could mean frac sand companies would have the legal authority to sue counties or townships for ordinances restricting frac sand mining. This clause undermines our local democracy and gives multi-national corporations increased power over the rights of citizens.

• A Threat to the Food System: Many of the nations in the TPP  produce food with chemicals and antibiotics that are prohibited in the U.S., and are already shipped with minimal safety inspections. TPP would also require that countries only enact “scientifically justifiable” food safety regulation, making it harder for countries to restrict the use of pesticides and food additives based on the precautionary principle. Under the TPP, food labels such as Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), “Union Made,” “No Antibiotics,” or “Minnesota Grown” could be challenged as so-called 'trade barriers' rather than being recognized as legitimate information designed to protect public health or support local industry. Even farm-to-school programs that give preference to locally grown food could be challenged as a barrier to international trade. It is also important to note that, historically, international trade agreements have been devastating to people in developing countries, forcing countless family farmers off their land and encouraging a global race to the bottom in acceptable working conditions as corporations relocate to improve their bottom line.

Congress ultimately decides if any trade agreement is enacted. The biggest concern is that corporate lobbyists and their allies in Congress will use every means necessary to pass fast track and the TPP. It is very likely that fast track is being pushed RIGHT NOW as Congress returns to the nation's Capitol from the Easter recess, so now is the time to make your voice heard. LSP will be tracking this issue closely and let you know when and if fast track hits the floor of Congress. Right now, we need your help to tell Congress that TPP should NOT be fast tracked.

There are two key players who need to hear from you today:

1. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, where the Senate fast track bill would be introduced. He has a significant amount of influence over the outcome of fast track. 

2. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has not decided which way to vote on fast track. Her vote is especially important because she sits on the President's Export Council of the International Trade Administration. 

Call Senator Ron Wyden and Amy Klobuchar NOW!

Senator Ron Wyden: 202-224-5244

Here is a suggested message: Hi! I am calling to leave a message for Senator Wyden. My name is ___________ and I live in _________ and I want him to oppose any "fast track" authority provided to the Obama Administration for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I'm opposed to this trade agreement because it has been done in secret, undermines labor rights, and threatens food safety. It would also take away the rights of people to have a say over the decisions that affect them and their communities. As a concerned citizen, I urge Senator Wyden to oppose both fast track and the TPP. 

Senator Amy Klobuchar: 202-224-3244

Here is a suggested message: Hi! I am calling to leave a message for Senator Klobuchar. My name is ______________ and I live in __________________ and I want her to vote against any “fast track” authority provided to the Obama Administration for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I’m opposed to this trade agreement because it has been done in secret, undermines labor rights, and threatens food safety. It would also take away the rights of people to have a say over the decisions that affect them and their communities. As a concerned citizen of Minnesota, I urge Senator Klobuchar to side with the people, rather than corporations, and publicly oppose both fast track and TPP.

TAKE ACTION. Make these calls TODAY!

For more on TPP visit www.landstewardshipproject.org/organizingforchange/tpp or call the Land Stewardship Project at 612-822-6377.

SAVE THE DATE - APRIL 15 @ 1:00

April 15 EQB meeting in St. Paul 

will be focused on frac sand issues.

Hi folks,

We've learned from Environmental Quality Board staff that the April 15 EQB meeting in St. Paul will be focused on frac sand issues. This will be an important meeting for southeast Minnesota residents to attend – please save the date and try to be there if possible.

There will be updates from state agency staff on the ongoing frac sand rulemaking — EQB rules on environmental review, MPCA rules on air quality, DNR rules on reclamation — and public comment will be taken.  

Also, this piece is not yet for sure, but Minnesota Sands, LLC, representatives may be present with an update on their plans for their multi-county frac sand operation — the latest I have heard is that MN Sands expressed an intent to submit their data in time for the April 15 meeting.

The meeting is at 1:00 at the MPCA building (520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul). There will be more updates from LSP as we learn more about what will be on the agenda, but I wanted to give folks a chance to pencil in the date as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Johanna

Johanna Rupprecht

Policy Organizer

Land Stewardship Project

Lewiston, MN

507-523-3366

Houston County Sand Storm Continues as Citizens Resist Boards Loss of Courage

Great title, GREAT compilation of what's been happening in Houston County.

Way to go Blue Stem Prairie!

http://www.bluestemprairie.com/bluestemprairie/2015/03/houston-county-sand-storm-continues-as-citizens-resist-boards-loss-of-courage.html

Thank you very much to the person who sent this link.

--

April 15 EQB meeting in St. Paul will be focused on frac sand issues.

Hi folks,

We've learned from Environmental Quality Board staff that the April 15 EQB meeting in St. Paul will be focused on frac sand issues. This will be an important meeting for southeast Minnesota residents to attend – please save the date and try to be there if possible.

There will be updates from state agency staff on the ongoing frac sand rulemaking — EQB rules on environmental review, MPCA rules on air quality, DNR rules on reclamation — and public comment will be taken.  

Also, this piece is not yet for sure, but Minnesota Sands, LLC, representatives may be present with an update on their plans for their multi-county frac sand operation — the latest I have heard is that MN Sands expressed an intent to submit their data in time for the April 15 meeting.

The meeting is at 1:00 at the MPCA building (520 Lafayette Road, St. Paul). There will be more updates from LSP as we learn more about what will be on the agenda, but I wanted to give folks a chance to pencil in the date as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Johanna

Johanna Rupprecht

Policy Organizer

Land Stewardship Project

Lewiston, MN

507-523-3366

Read the bills and see which state lawmakers are 

authors of the newest Dirty Water bills:

• H.F. 1494 / S.F. 1378
• H.F. 1394

• Partnership The following organizations urge you to take action:

  Read the bills and see which state lawmakers are authors of the newest Dirty Water bills:
  • H.F. 1494 / S.F. 1378
  • H.F. 1394

Say NO to Corporate Interests (apologies for not updating the blog in time for this - ed.)

Say NO to Corporate Interests Pushing Factory Farms at the Expense of Democracy & the Environment

Legislation Gutting the Power of the MPCA Citizens’ Board to get a Hearing Wed., March 11 

In August 2014, neighbors to a proposed 8,850-cow factory farm in Stevens County called on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Citizens' Board to protect their community. Among neighbors’ concerns was that each year this factory farm would have used close to 100 million gallons of water and generated over 75 million gallons of liquid manure. The MPCA Citizens’ Board listened and for the first time ever ordered an Environmental Impact Statement on a factory farm.

Corporate interests now want to GUT the power of the MPCA Citizens’ Board. Made up of eight members appointed by the Governor and the MPCA commissioner, the Citizens’ Board holds public hearings and has the final say on MPCA environmental review issues. The Citizens’ Board creates a public process and gives citizens a voice in the environmental review process. Minnesota House File 1394 would remove the authority of the MPCA Citizens’ Board when it comes to environmental review issues. Even though the MPCA Citizens’ Board seldom (and in the case of factory farms only once in its history) orders environmental review, that’s too much for corporate agriculture interests. House File 1394 is authored by Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), Rep. Tony Albright (R-Prior Lake), and Rep. Tim Miller (R- Prinsburg).