Issue #21 DATE August 6, 2013

MEETING TONIGHT: CHANGES TO THE RAILROAD BRIDGE AREA IN CHIPPEWA FALLSThe Canadian National has indicated they will be expanding the two rails they have built up to County Highway S with 3-4 more rails making a potential for 6 rails to be going through the area. The City has

already become a heavy industrial zone. With bridge expansion have the residential areas been considered in terms of the “footprint” created as silica carrying trains pass through the area day and night? Should you be concerned and involved? Read more. The City Council Meeting is at 6:30 p.m

tonight. Should residents wonder what the rail is planning for future development?

•Aug. 10, 9:30am-3:15pm, Wisconsin Farmers Union Conference in Chippewa Falls area. Afternoon panel on water quantity issues. Speakers include:Jimmy Bramblett, NRCS State ConservationistNeil Koch, retired hydrogeologist with the US Geological SurveyAndy Diercks, potato and vegetable grower, Coloma Farms, Waushara CountyLynn Utesch, beef farmer, Keewaunee County, member of Keewaunee CaresDan Masterpole, Chippewa County Conservationist, coordinator of 5-year   Chippewa County groundwater study.

Contact Kara Slaughter, Government Relations Director,Wisconsin Farmers Unionmobile:  608-514-4541kslaughter@wisconsinfarmersunion.comwww.wisconsinfarmersunion.com

David Williams, an attorney from Fillmore County, Minn. Said, “Five of your neighboring counties in Minnesota have enacted moratoria. They saw what was going on in Wisconsin and it scared them to death. These are conservative county leaders who protect agricultural land.” http://www.decorahnewspapers.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=13&ArticleID=31107

####http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/skytruth-the-environment-and-the-satellite-revolution/2013/07/31/3a1d181a-d52b-11e2-b05f-3ea3f0e7bb5a_story.html

SkyTruth is on the cover of the Washington Post Magazine !!! This means the wonderful resource should get a ton more volunteer trackers. Congrats to John Amos and his recently recruited new SkyTruth brainiacs. AND a CAUTION: This is the "good side" of surveillance . . . Which is probably why this story is appearing in the corporate-controlled WashPost, to "balance" (counteract) the BAD stuff about NSA and contractor spying that has us all spaced out. SNIPPETS:

Consider this:

A few weeks ago, 45 years after “Earthrise” dazzled Amos and the rest of the world, NASA engineers in Greenbelt finished building a microwave radiometer that will go on a satellite next year. It will map soil moisture levels, taking 192 million samples per second, via a microwave beam that simultaneously filters out other microwave emissions, goes through vegetation, and gathers the “naturally emitted microwave signal that indicates the presence of moisture,” according to NASA. Armed with information about the dirt beneath our feet, those microwave beams will then ricochet to the satellite, then down to laboratories for analysis.

This was scarcely reported upon . . .-----

The decisive moment came when he came across a 1993 image of the Jonah oil field in Wyoming: sagebrush, grassland, cows, pronghorn antelope, a few gravel roads. He got a fresh image for a project he was working on. In just a few years, the gas wells — five-acre pads — had multiplied, as had the roads accessing the remote sites.

“It had gone from ranchland to industry, just that fast,” he says.

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From Texas Sharon: I made this methane infographic today. These EPA graphs prove that methane is skyrocketing despite what Steve Everley tweets. The information to create these graphs was a collaboration of about a dozen universities and governments worldwide and it has been peer-reviewed out the wazoo. Here is the blog post with all the information. This blog post was a response to the Kevin Begos article about EPA lowering their methane estimates.

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The Sustainable Future Festival will be held in Eau Claire at the Expo Center on Saturday, August 10 from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM. All are invited and the event is free. There will be booths on frac sand issues, sustainability, speakers, food, a plant sale, and new this year, a display of energy efficient cars from local dealers. Lots of great information will be available! Please check the website: http://www/sustainablefuturefest.com

#### Juneau County News

http://www.wiscnews.com/news/local/article_593c58b8-ee9a-11e2-9f28-0019bb2963f4.html

Article link:http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/juneau-county-frac-sand-mine-sparks-opposition/

article_10d8f343-160a-5f22-9101-c395955251ce.html?comment_form=true

THE IMPACT OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURE IS FOUND IN AT LEAST 50 STATES!

From the Center for Biological Diversity. We have some information, sending along a few links:

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/california_fracking/wildlife.html http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2012/fracking-08-29-2012.html

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2013/california-condor-07-10-2013.html

Impact on Wildlife! http://www.damascuscitizensforsustainability.org/2012/03/impacts-of-gas-drilling-on-human-and-animal-health/

http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/issues/toc/winter_2013/

http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/bombing_north_dakota/

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Check this map out very carefully! What do you think is the explanation? Very odd indeed!http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/state.htm Results in WI SUPPRESSED!

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The metallic mining committee is being revived…I wonder if anyone has estimated the thousands (millions?) of dollars that it is has cost individuals, towns and counties in dealing with the frac sand industry? And not a penny paid by the sand companies…

WI Mining Impact committee coming back to life

By Ryan Ekvall / July 30, 2013 / By Ryan Ekvall | Wisconsin Reporter

MADISON — The state board that distributes cash from the Mining Impact and Local Investment Fund for

communities impacted by mining is being resurrected, according to the state Department of Revenue.

****

Anthony Ingraffea of Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy has an awesome op ed in the New York Times today on tracking and methane leaks. Please comment and distribute widely http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/opinion/gangplank-to-a-warm-future.html?_r=0

Eric Justian of West Michigan Jobs Group has a post on Daily Kos tying a local brewery’s lawsuit against an energy company to our push for a US water budget. Again please comment and distribute! http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/28/1227180/-Bell-s-Brewery-Sues-Enbridge-Oil-over-Polluted-Kalamazoo-River

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Frac sand mining splits Wisconsin communities: READ ABOUT OUR LOCAL FRIENDShttp://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/frac-sand-mining-splits-communities-b9962665z1-217312971.html

####June 19: Pepin County Board adopts frac-free zone along Lake Pepin

http://www.startribune.com/local/212257111.html

Pollution worries abound in frac sand waste streamshttp://www.startribune.com/local/215335701.html

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Check out this article in the Washington Post about SkyTruth

They have and are disseminating the technologies for mapping fracking sites and lots more.

If you don't have time to check them out, please send to someone who does.

SkyTruth Releases Fracking Chemical Database

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Oil is abundant and prices high, but steeper costs push Big Oil into a global slump

Article | Updated: Aug 1, 2013 - 6:05 PM... the returns on investment aren't what they used to be." The new oil being foundand produced is in ultra-deep ocean waters, in sands that must be ...

TransCanada to build pipeline to Atlantic Canada that would allow for overseas oil exports Article | Updated: Aug 1, 2013 - 4:01 PM... New pipelines are critical to Canada, which needs infrastructure in place toexport its growing oil sands production from northern Alberta. ...

FACT CHECK: Obama misses a mark on claim about Keystone XL pipeline jobs

Article | Updated: Aug 1, 2013 - 1:05 AMThe 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil from tar sands in Alberta to refineries

in the Houston area, passing through Montana, South Dakota ...

From Gary Bakke of the Bakke Norman law firm

http://www.bakkenorman.com/resources/blog/municipal-law-alert/local-officials-on-the-international-stage/?utm_source=MLA+July+2013&utm_campaign=July+MLA&utm_medium=email

####Court Finds Bush-Era Ozone Standards Violate Clean Air Act

Earthjustice, News Report: The decision is the result of a suit brought by Earthjustice on behalf of the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, and Appalachian Mountain Club. Also challenging the standards as too weak were the states of New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, as well as Washington D.C. and New York City.

Swarthmore website: a set of videos on hydraulic fracturing impactshttp://www.swarthmore.edu/academics/environmental-studies-capstone/videos.xml

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Dover says “no” to sand mining projecthttp://www.winonadailynews.com/news/article_da1d0610-f4d7-11e2-9c35-0019bb2963f4.html#.UfRBB68UmOI.email

Frac Sand Maphttp://www.winonadailynews.com/html_100ff688-f0aa-11e2-9ef0-001a4bcf887a.html#.UfRBbFGuDHk.email

Wisconsin’s Frac Sand Man says Booming not slowinghttp://www.startribune.com/local/210345261.html

Pollution Worries Abound in Frac Sand Waste Streamshttp://www.startribune.com/local/215335701.html

Internal EPA report highlights disputes over fracking and well waterhttp://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-epa-dimock-20130728,0,4847442.story

You might like to check out what Moodys say about Preferred Sands/Proppantshttp://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-downgrades-Preferred-Proppants-rating-to-B3-and-maintains-negative--PR_278585

Lifetime Gag Orders on Family Members? Sellers BEWARE!

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/washington/confidential-agreement-should-have-been-part-of-washington-county-marcellus-shale-case-record-697530/#ixzz2ad7zdPLK

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Enough is Enough: It’s Time to Move Beyond Dirty Energyhttp://ecowatch.com/2013/time-to-move-beyond-dirty-energy/

Mining Displacing Agriculture in Barron Countyhttp://www.ricelakeonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=211&ArticleID=26129&TM=57228.19

Gangplank to a Warm Future By ANTHONY R. INGRAFFEAPublished: July 28, 2013 New York TimesITHACA, N.Y. — MANY concerned about climate change, including President Obama, have embraced hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") for natural gas. In his recent climate speech, the president went so far as to lump gas with renewables as “clean energy.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/opinion/gangplank-to-a-warm-future.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

State enters silica sand fracasJohn Weiss, weiss@postbulletin.com | Posted: Friday, August 2, 2013 9:30 pm

RED WING Louy Stambaugh wants state agencies to help stop many trucks loaded with silica sand from pounding past her Lake City home.

Flaring Burns more than 100 million dollars woth of natural gas per month in North Dakotahttp://www.nbcnews.com/business/flaring-burns-more-100-million-month-north-dakota-6C10798151

Hello Friends from the Region, Here's an invitation to come meet in Decorah, IA on Sunday morning, August 18 from 9:00 am to noon. Why in the world would you want to do that?

Here in Winneshiek County we are working fast and hard toward passing an ordinance banning frac sand mining. We are empowered to do so through the work of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, celdf.org, which has for 13 years been empowering communities to take local control through a particular kind of ordinance. There are now 150 such communities, and we aim to be one of the next.

We have learned a lot about Community Rights work in the last few months, and people from other parts of the region have asked us to share it. Here's the moment. Can you come? If we hear back from at least 10 of you who'd like to come, we'll spend the morning

sharing what we know with you.

Also: • Here's info on the Decorah Sept. workshop on CR. Register soon! • We're holding a Democracy School Nov. 1 and 2, led by celdf. Room for 23 more

people. Let me know if you're interested in attending. • Here's an article you might like to read:

“Help! I've Been Colonized and I Can't Get Up...!” by Jane Anne Morris http://www.poclad.org/BWA/2005/BWA_2005_FEB.html

Liz RogDecorah, IA

• DecorahNow: Building Community through Arts, Cultural, and Recreational Events DecorahNow.com • Fern Hollow Cabin, Our Solar-Powered Log Cabin Bed and Breakfast in the woods

FernHollowCabin.com • Wedding Officiant, in the great state of Iowa which respects all love WelcomeInDecorah.com• Stories of Life in Decorah, Liz-Rog-stories.blogspot.com

Here in NE Iowa we are learning about the ways that 150 communities across our nation have protected themselves from environmental harms through Community Rights ordinances. Want to know what it's about? Here's a trailer for a film coming out soon.

Welcome to the Frac Sand Sentinel, a newsletter highlighting resource links, news media accounts, blog posts, correspondence, observations and opinions gathered regarding local actions on, and impacts of, the developing frac sand mining and processing industries. The content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only. The editor of the Frac Sand Times does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the content of this newsletter or reliance by any persons on the newsletters contents. You are receiving this newsletter because you have expressed an interest in this information. We don't sell or loan your e-mail address to anyone. You can subscribe for, or unsubscribe from, the newsletter at any time by emailing the sender at sunnyday5@charter.net, noting your request.