{"id":12438,"date":"2017-11-27t11:47:59","date_gmt":"2017-11-27t11:47:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/fracking-farms-families-fight-sand-mining\/"},"modified":"2017-11-27t11:47:59","modified_gmt":"2017-11-27t11:47:59","slug":"fracking-farms-families-fight-sand-mining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/fracking-farms-families-fight-sand-mining\/","title":{"rendered":"fracking farms: families fight sand mining"},"content":{"rendered":"
by jamie hwang and tiffany jeung<\/strong><\/p>\n mary whipple\u2019s day ends with throwing away bags of dust collected from her home in waltham township in lasalle county, illinois. \u201call that dust that i vacuum up in my bedroom every day,\u201d she said. \u201cyou would not believe what i vacuum up from my carpet.\u201d<\/p>\n since 2013, mary and her husband monty whipple have fought for their community as plaintiffs in the ongoing lawsuit to stop a proposed sand mine that would be built close to their farm just north of interstate 80 near the village of north utica. the case is now back in the trial court, where defendants will be required to answer the complaint, and \u201cdiscovery\u201d will begin. the case will go forward in the circuit court in bureau county, illinois.<\/p>\n mary whipple, now 66, was born in lasalle and lived in lasalle county her whole life. her parents, richard and irene dittmar, also lived there all their lives, and monty\u2019s family resided on their nearby farm for generations as well. they\u2019re fighting for their community and their legacy.<\/p>\n the story began when the north utica village board gave a permit to aramoni llc, a division of the investment firm woodland path in oak brook allowing a sand mine to take over property previously intended for commercial development. the land is very close to the homes of people living in waltham township, which immediately borders north utica. nobody expected a sand mine and waltham residents will be directly affected by the sand mine activities.<\/p>\n \u201cliving where we have been for many years, we\u2019re very aware of what mining does,\u201d mary said. \u201cstripping riches off of the soil and the possible contaminations, truck traffic and hazards that go with mining? there\u2019s a place for everything, and this isn\u2019t the place to have it. that land is a god-given gift. you\u2019re never going to be able to replace it.\u201d<\/p>\n the lawsuit focuses on the prospective nuisance that will negatively affect the well-being and daily lives of the families — mostly farmers — living close to the site. even though lasalle county has many sand mines, none have been directly built on vast acres of prime farmland. the land had been sold, however, for commercial development.<\/p>\n fracking (known as hydraulic fracturing) is an oil and gas extraction technique that involves breaking up rock underground to release oil and natural gas deposits by pumping liquids into wells at high pressures. the chemicals used in the process and the risk of groundwater contamination are major concerns raised by fracking, according to ted auch at the fractracker alliance, an organization that makes energy-related data, especially on oil and gas issues, more accessible and actionable for the public. auch is the great lakes program coordinator of the fractracker alliance and teaches geochemistry and soil science at cleveland state university, in cleveland. he focuses his work on environmental justice issues from watershed resilience to sand mining.<\/p>\n the fracking mixture to break the rock contains water and sand, as well as other chemicals. north utica’s sand, with its consistent, even texture, meets the requirements to hold open rock fissures. with sand propping these human-made cracks open, the chemicals help oil or gas rise to the surface.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n fracking isn’t new, but it\u2019s growing. the u.s. energy information administration reports that, as of 2015, fracking produced two-thirds of natural gas in the u.s. although fracking may be talked about as a \u201cnot-my-problem, not-my-town\u201d issue, active fracking exists in 34 states. given the quality of sand in lasalle county \u2014 already known as the \u201csand capital of the world\u201d by the illinois geographic alliance \u2013 increased fracking means the targets on the back of rural citizens grow ever larger.<\/p>\n \u201ci was struck by the scale, the size of the mines. the mines in lasalle county are so much bigger than the mines i\u2019ve seen in other states,\u201d auch said.<\/p>\n why are people such as the whipples fighting to keep sand mines away from their homes? because frack sand mining comes with serious potential consequences, as auch shows in his research.<\/p>\n \u201cin lasalle county, illinois, they used to be able to see the stars,\u201d he said. \u201cand now, if you\u2019re too close to these mines or floodlights, you can’t see the stars.\u201d<\/p>\nunderstanding sand mining for fracking<\/h2>\n
effects of sand mining<\/h2>\n