| By MARK GUNDERMAN |
mark.gunderman@lee.net
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:04 AM CDT
Jane Lardahl took the microphone and began speaking in a quiet, weak voice. She explained she has a medical condition characterized by a narrow airway and needs to keep away from dusty areas or anything that will irritate her throat.
“Any company that’s going to put a larger portion of pollutants in the air does not go well for me,” she said.
Lardahl spoke at a public hearing on a Department of Natural Resources air quality permit for Canadian Sand and Proppants’ proposed sand mine and processing plant. She was one of dozens speaking, nearly all against the proposal.
The DNR had initially determined that the project would meet criteria and the permits should be approved. However, since the DNR’s public announcement in November, about 40 comments and requests for a public hearing were received, according to Roger Fritz, air management engineer with the DNR.
And so the hearing was held Tuesday afternoon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Chippewa Falls, attended by about 140 people, with about 30 speaking. There was no question-and-answer session or presentation by Canadian Sand and Proppants.
The hearing involved a series of people making statements on the project.
Much concern was expressed over crystalline silica, a common compound found most abundantly in quartz. When tiny particles become airborne and therefore inhalable they become a health hazard.
The hazard has long been known in certain occupations. The issue is whether there is a risk to the general population.
Speakers noted that the DNR has no standards for safe levels of crystalline silica, which can cause cancer and silicosis.
Crystalline silica particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
“I can’t just look out the window and tell my children it’s safe to play outside because I don’t see any dust clouds,” said Wendy Loew, who lives by the mine site in the town of Howard.
Steve Wood, owner of Northern Lights Semi-Conductor in Chippewa Falls, noted that the proposal is supposed to meet standards that are eight years old. However, new regulations regularly reduce the standards. He urged that the plant be required to meet higher standards.
Wood also said the plant is unusual in that it’s an example of a project that is usually rural being built near a population center.
“It’s a first in the state for a facility coming into an urban area,” he said. “There’s no real data on a facility like this one.”
Speakers also focused on concerns over fugitive dust — or dust that escapes from the normal handling and filtration systems, or gets kicked up by activities. Speakers wanted monitoring of fugitive dust with figures considered in overall air quality.
Hank Boschen of Chippewa Falls installed conveyor systems for heavy industry, and said they are dirty, dusty devices.
“You can’t control the fugitive dust from these unless you have a budget like NASA,” he said.
He held a hand-held device that he said he is using to monitor air particles around town wherever he goes. He plans to establish a baseline of figures to compare with readings after the plant is constructed.
Speakers called for more monitoring of air quality than called for in the permit application, with more frequent reporting of figures.
But many other speakers spoke on a more personal level about how they saw the impact on their lives.
Cheryl Helgeson urged the consideration of the families in the area.
“Let me emphasize that the project is within an existing community that includes children and the elderly,” she said.
“The possibility of this happening is extremely upsetting to me, my family and I think just about everybody in this room,” she said. She added that she didn’t believe that people moved here thinking this would become a heavy industrial town.
Land surveyor Dennis Mickesh of Chippewa Falls said there are many more mine sites in the county that could become active.
“Numerous mine sites will come into play clear across the western part of the county,” he said.
The community “will look like a moonscape if this goes forward,” said Russ Blair of Chippewa Falls.
A few speakers came out in favor of the project. They cited faith in the DNR to monitor the air quality and liked the economic benefits of the project.
Jay Mayer of Chippewa Falls said government’s role is to ensure that a business project meets applicable laws, but once a business does that, it should be allowed to operate freely.
Robert Krause of Eau Claire said the $50 million investment turns over in the community seven times, creating economic activity.
The DNR will be accepting written comments on the project through May 27. Comments can be sent to the attention of Roger Fritz, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Central Office, 101 S. Webster St., Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707-7921.
