Northwest WI Clean Air, Groundwater At Further Risk

Trempealeau County already has 106 high-capacity wells and now the County may let the rapidly-expanding frac sand mines operating there run 24-hours-a-day.

Officials recently green-lighted the 26th such mine in the County:

The Trempealeau County Environment and Land Use Committee gave the go-ahead to a Michigan-based company to open a 716-acre mining, processing and, eventually, a railroad loading facility 2 miles south of Whitehall.... 

The committee discussed the proposal for the first time on the same day they voted on it, after receiving their information packets last week. It voted to approve the facility with only one member, Brandt, voting against.

Cleaning the sand before it's loaded and shipped takes a heckuva a lot of water, according to the Wisconsin League of Conservation voters:

Water is used to clean and sort the sand, as well as for dust control. Expected average water use ranges from 420,500 gallons to 2 million gallons per day....

For how long will this cheery municipal description stand?

Trempealeau (Tremp-a-low) County is as fun to explore as it is to say the name! The county is nestled along the western side of the state, combining the scenic rolling hills characterized by the Driftless region with the stunning views of the Mississippi River. The Trempealeau River also runs through the county, providing beautiful trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding during the warmer months and snowshoeing when the snow flies.

Perrot State Park has fantastic hiking among 500-foot bluffs, offering amazing views. Birders will love that the area is also home to the Mississippi River Flyway, the most important avian migratory route in North America. And those looking for a fantastic drive head to the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, which meanders through the county with beautiful views of the Mississippi River on one side and stunning bluffs on the other.

And look at its recent, exploding water use, according to the US Geological Survey:

Trempealeau County	return to Executive Summary - Full Report
WATER USE
Water-use data were updated in January 2008 to include 2005 data. Some water-use estimates prior to 2005 have been revised since published in the U.S. Geological Survey "Water Use in Wisconsin" summary reports. Thermoelectric and mining data are not considered in water-use tables or figures on this web site. Thermoelectric-power water use is the amount of water used in the process of generating thermoelectric power. The predominant use of water is as non-contact cooling water to condense the steam created to turn the turbines and generate electricityD1.
Trempealeau County water use by year (millions of gallons per day) 1979 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Surface-water use 0.13 0.38 0.35 0.22 0.21 0.28 Groundwater use 3.06 5.16 5.38 5.40 5.94 10.87 Total water use 6.16 5.54 5.73 5.62 6.15 11.15