Minnesota County Near La Crosse Weighing Frac Sand Ban

A Minnesota county along the Mississippi River is considering a permanent ban on frac sand mining.

Houston County, directly across the Mississippi from La Crosse, has been under a frac sand mining moratorium for the last three years, but it’s set to expire in March. Before it does, a county commissioner wants to pass rules to ban the mining technique entirely.

Dana Kjome said he wants to amend the county’s sand mining ordinance to stop any new projects in hopes of protecting the area’s driftless geography.

“I want to preserve it,” said Kjome. “I look at our county and it’s absolutely beautiful and I don’t want to do anything that would permanently damage it.”

Whether a permanent ban on sand mining would be legal still has to be determined. Kjome said the county’s attorney is reviewing his proposal before the county acts. Lawsuits have already been brought against the county’s moratorium.