February 22, 2013 Dear Senator Marty and fellow committee members, Thank you for allowing comment

on the silica sand issue. My name is Liza Eng. I have lived in Wabasha County for over 32 years and am a Wabasha City resident. I attended the public comment period up at the Capitol on Tuesday, February 19th. I felt the mining industry speakers misled the committee on a number of points. Proponents said this is the most regulated industry in the state. The words rock, aggregate, and sand were lumped together. These resources are not the same. Yes, industry has mined silica sand in the past. We have used that sand for roads, golf courses, and glassmaking. What the industry proposes now is not a mom and pop operation. As Pat Popple from Chippewa Falls, WI stated on Tuesday, this is large-scale industrial mining. It will have far-reaching detrimental consequences for our state and small town communities. Some testifiers mentioned jobs and good paying union jobs. I am neither anti-job nor anti-union. My father and husband both belonged to unions. Jobs will be created from silica sand mining. But, at what cost? Southeastern Minnesota is one of the most scenic regions in our state. People travel here to go boating, fishing, camping, and hiking. What will happen when the tourists decide not to come because of the mines or the heavy truck traffic? What about jobs lost? As a committee, you need to be aware of what problems frac sand mines can cause. I will list just a few. 1.) Jobs. I mentioned the possibility of lost jobs already. 2.) Air. Silica sand particulates can cause silicosis. It is caused by air particles we breathe into our lungs. These particles cannot be seen by the naked eye. 3.) Water. Frac sand mines use our groundwater to clean the sand. This could become very problematic if we continue to experience drought conditions. Sand mines usually build retention ponds to hold the water from sand washing. If these ponds fail, acrylamide can enter our groundwater. 4.) Property values. In the video Frac Sand Land, a local farm wife from the township of Cooks Valley, WI was interviewed. She and her family live at the intersection of 135th and DD. There are 4,000 trucks per week running by her house. These trucks are from one mine. Her home value in two years time has dropped by 50%.

5.) Heavy truck traffic and road damage. As mentioned, our area of the state gets many tourists. Outdoor recreation, such as fishing, hiking and hunting will be affected if mines go in. The increased truck traffic from hauling sand from mines may keep visitors away from our area of the state. 6.) Outdoor recreation. For months, the extreme weather worldwide has often been the top story on the news. We are in the midst of a climate crisis, committee members. Dr. James Hansen heads the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. He is best known for his research on climatology. He said recently in December 2012 that the last thing we should be doing is extracting more fossil fuels from underground. We all have to address the climate crisis. We have a golden opportunity here. In May 2012, Vermont became the first state to ban hydraulic fracturing. The state of Minnesota needs to take a stand. We could become the first state to ban frac sand mining, processing and transloading. There are too many unknowns with frac sand mining and processing. I am extremely concerned about our air and water. For this reason, I urge you and your fellow committee members to ban this questionable practice in our state. We can address climate change and still grow the economy. We can give people good-paying jobs. Now is the time to push hard for renewable energy. People, air, water and the environment will not be negatively affected. I do not believe that can be said about any aspect of frac sand mining. I wish every committee member could take a plane ride over the Chippewa Falls, WI area. Ex-senator John Howe has seen sand mines. He was amazed at the immense scope of these mines. Perhaps you could drive down to southeastern Minnesota, drive to Frontenac State Park and go to the picnic area. Get out and take in the view. Then, maybe you can tell me how these beautiful hills and bluffs can ever be reclaimed once they are mined. Thank you for your time, Liza Eng Wabasha, MN