Frac Sand Mining

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the lead agency responsible for regulating the environmental and public health impacts associated with industrial sand mining through different permits and requirements set forth in the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

Relevant regulations to industrial sand mining operations are as follows:

• NR 46 – Forest Tax Program
• NR 48 – County Forest Withdrawal
• NR 103 – Water Quality Standards for Wetlands
• NR 135 – Nonmetallic Mining Reclamation
• NR 140 – Groundwater Quality
• NR 200 – Application for Discharge Permits and Water Quality Standard Variances
• NR 205 – General Provisions
• NR 216 – Storm Water Discharge Permits
• NR 299 – Water Quality Certification
• NR 340 – Nonmetallic Mining and Reclamation Associated with Navigable Waterways and Adjacent Areas
• NR 350 – Wetland Compensatory Mitigation
• NR 351 – Exemptions from Water Quality Certification in Nonfederal Wetlands
• NR 352 – Delineation of Nonfederal Wetlands
• NR 353 – Wetland Conservation Activities
• NR 407 – Operation Permits
• NR 415 – Control of Particulate Emissions
• NR 440 – Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources
• NR 445 – Control of Hazardous Pollutants
• NR 500 – General Solid Waste Management Requirements
• NR 660 – Hazardous Waste Management: General
• NR 700 to 754 – Environmental Protection – Investigation and Remediation of Environmental Contamination
• NR 809 – Safe Drinking Water
• NR 810 – Requirements for the Operation and Maintenance of Public Water Systems
• NR 812 – Well Construction and Pump Installation
• NR 815 – Injection Wells
• NR 820 – Groundwater Quantity Protection
• NR 850 – Water Use Fees
• NR 856 – Water Use Registration and Reporting

Minnesota

In 2013, the Minnesota legislature passed the Omnibus Environmental, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Finance Bill (HF 976 / SF 1170) during the 2013 Legislative Session setting up different measures addressing the environmental and public health impacts associated with silica sand mining.

The 2013 Omnibus Bill created four new sections incorporated in the Laws of Minnesota, chapter 114, and sections 66, 91, 92, and 93:

• 103G.217 Driftless Area; Water Resources (requires a silica sand mining trout stream setback permit for excavation or mining operations in Minnesota’s drift-less area);
• 116C.99 Silica Sand Mining Model Standards and Criteria (requires the Environmental Quality Board to establish silica sand mining model standards);
• 116C.991 Environmental Review; Silica Sand Projects (requires environmental reviews for silica sand projects);
• 116C.992 Ordinance and Permit Library (requires the Environmental Quality Board to create and maintain a library on local government ordinances and local government permits that have been approved for regulation of silica sand projects).

The Environmental Quality Board issued the sand mining model standards in March 2014 – Tools to Assist Local Governments in Planning for and Regulating Silica Sand Projects (approved March 19, 2014).

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Health and the Environmental Quality Board are agencies responsible for enacting or amending silica sand mining rules, pursuant to 2013 Laws of Minnesota, chapter 114, article 4, section 105.

For more information, please contact the Guide Author, Jessica Deyoe,  Research Assistant  at The Center for Agricultural and Shale Law.  

Phone: (814) 865-4290

Email: jld531@psu.edu

The Center for Agricultural and Shale Law

Penn State Law

The Pennsylvania State University

329 Innovation Blvd., Suite 118

University Park, PA 16803

Phone: (814) 865-4290

Fax: (814) 865-3851