Buffalo County (WQOW) - A company wants to truck sand from a recently-approved Buffalo County mine to Eau Claire. That company is now talking with a potential landing spot.
Last week, WQOW News 18 reported on the Glacier Sands mine that has been approved in the Town of Mondovi. It will produce as many as 300 truckloads a day. The company's website said it plans to use a pair of truck routes for the sand: South on Highway 37 to Highway 35 and north on 37 to Eau Claire.
The Eau Claire City Council recently rejected plans for a sand transfer facility. In response to a question about where the sand would go in Eau Claire, a Glacier Sands representative said they are talking with a potential partner about that right now, but no agreement has been reached. The company also said it couldn't release the name of the business involved.
There was also a question about jobs. Glacier Sands has said this new mine would create about 90 jobs, but on its website, it says all four of its sites in Buffalo County would add about 100 jobs. Glacier Sands says that jobs number excludes truck drivers so of the 90 created by the new mine, 50 would be in trucking.
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Buffalo County (WQOW) - There are still questions about a frac sand project that's been approved in Buffalo County, namely where would the sand go?
Wednesday night, the Buffalo County Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to approve a Town of Mondovi frac sand mine. The 171-acre mine would produce as many as 300 truck loads a day. The website for Glacier Sands said it plans to use a pair of truck routes for the sand: South on Highway 37 to Highway 35 and north on 37 to Eau Claire.
Late Thursday afternoon, WQOW News 18 asked the company where the sand would end up in Eau Claire. A spokesperson said they would check into that and get back to us. Last week, the Eau Claire City Council rejected plans for a sand transfer facility for a different company, Muskie Proppant. The same attorney represents both companies.
This week in Buffalo County, the county board extended a frac sand moratorium, but the Glacier Sands permit did not apply because it had been submitted before the original moratorium.
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Statement on Thursday from Glacier Sands
After months of meetings and negotiations, the Buffalo County Board of Adjustment, in a 3-0 vote, approved a conditional use permit for a town of Mondovi frac sand mine. The 171-acre "JLS Sands" mine will be located on the Johnson, Larson and Stanton family properties and will produce as many as 300 truckloads per day.
"This is a testament to what open, honest and productive dialogue can produce," said Wayne Steinmetz, spokesman for the Glacier Sands company. "Most area residents are anxious to see real economic development occur here and we hope to develop more opportunities in cooperation with landowners and county officials."
This week the Buffalo County Board approved a six-month extension to a sand mining moratorium that was to expire October 31. The JLS Sands mining permit application had been submitted prior to the original moratorium.
Glacier Sands has now secured two critical conditional use permits for future mining operations including one for the its "R&J Rolling Acres" mine in the town of Gilmanton.
Steinmetz said, "We've made great progress working with the community and will work even harder in our on-going efforts to bring jobs to the area."
The JLS Sands mine is expected to create approximately 40 jobs directly related to mining operations and another 50 trucking-related jobs.
