The Crawford County Board approved a resolution opposing legislation that undermines local control as communities continue to address the concerns and impacts presented by the growing frac sand mining industry in Wisconsin.

The resolution passed on a unanimous vote at the Tuesday, December 17 meeting held in Prairie du Chien.

The text of the resolution reads:

A resolution opposing SB-349 and its effects on local control of industrial sand mining

 WHEREAS, the expansion of industrial sand mining and processing in western Wisconsin raises significant local public health, economic, environmental, and quality of life issues; and,

WHEREAS, SB-349 has been introduced in the Wisconsin legislature to restrict local governmental authority to regulate non-metallic mining and to limit certain governmental powers; and,

WHEREAS, this Bill prohibits local governmental units from imposing restrictions related to water or air quality; requiring monitoring of water or air quality and water quantity; establishing or enforcing a standard of air or water quality; or issuing permits related to water or air quality and water quantity; and,

WHEREAS, the Bill removes the power of a county to administer an air pollution control program with requirements that are consistent with or stricter than those in relevant state law; and,

WHEREAS, the Bill prohibits a county from enacting or enforcing a non-metallic mining reclamation ordinance that requires an operator to obtain a permit other than a reclamation permit, includes a standard of air or water quality, or is more restrictive than Wisconsin DNR standards; and,

WHEREAS, this Bill prohibits counties from imposing any fee or other charge on a highway user for damage to highways caused by the highway user unless the county has entered into a contract with a highway user to reimburse the municipality or county for the cost of the repairs to a highway that meets certain specific requirements, including a requirement that the proportion of damages caused specifically by the highway user must be determined by an engineer selected by the user and the county and paid equally by the user and county; and,

WHEREAS, a one-size fits all statewide statute does not recognize the unique health, safety, economic, environmental, and quality of life impacts caused by these operations due to factors such as local geology, topography, and infrastructure make this an issue of local concern.  This prompted Crawford County to recently devote significant resources towards working with towns and villages to help them develop licensing ordinances within their boundaries in response to citizen demand;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Crawford County Board of Supervisors does hereby support local control of non-metallic mining, and opposes SB-349 and any state legislation that would preempt the ability of towns and villages to craft their own regulations tailored to their individual circumstance.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to Governor Walker, Senator Schilling, Representative Nerison, Wisconsin DNR Secretary Stepp, and the Wisconsin Counties Association.