Letter: Mining Study Committee wasn't up to the task

To the Editor:

At its recent meeting, the Goodhue County Planning Advisory Commission punted regarding the proposed mining ordinance. Despite seeing over 200 residents packed into the room and despite hearing the thoughtful and well-researched concerns from at least 40 of them to — at the very least — extend the moratorium, the commission seemed incapable of making a decision and so … it punted. It decided to table the issue until its next meeting.

The reason? The commissioners, despite some members voicing their own concerns over the proposed mining ordinance, couldn't come up with any reason to extend the moratorium.

Really?

I am very disappointed, and I am worried that tabling is a way for the commission to discuss the proposed ordinance with fewer people in the room. So if you were at this meeting, please make sure you show up again, and if you weren't, please show your support.

The Planning Advisory Commission still has the opportunity to show that it heard residents. It still has the opportunity to recognize how woefully inadequate the current, proposed ordinance is and realize that the Mining Study Committee failed to understand that its mandate was to study the issues brought forward in the moratorium request brought by citizens.

Studying the issue would credibly require a real discussion of banning silica sand mining. At a minimum it would require that silica sand mining and processing be acknowledged and specified in a proposed ordinance. It would require the serious consideration of limiting mining operations to mining districts instead of all agricultural zoned areas.

It would require recognizing the health and infrastructure impacts inherent in high volume silica sand mining and demand, not consider, stringent regulation related to air and water quality monitoring, road impact agreements and financial protection for reclamation.

Most importantly, it would require the commission to recognize, despite all respect paid to study committee members, that the committee failed in its most core mission: to consider the concerns raised by citizens regarding silica sand.

Given that failure, I question whether the current mining committee is up to the task.

Evan Brown

Red Wing

Tags: opinion, letters