The issue, which came to dominate portions of the 2013 legislative session, has resurfaced in a more subdued manner this year, and it remains to be seen if any substantive legislation might come up for consideration.

The Land Stewardship Project has released a report that poses its version of how to judge the potential impacts of a large frac-sand mining proposal in southeastern Minnesota.

House and Senate conferees have agreed on a set of regulations for frac sand mining in southeastern Minnesota. One conferee said the breadth of the issues that are addressed makes the legislation the first of its kind in the country.

The Senate Finance Committee turned down Sen. Matt Schmit's bid to amend frac sand legislation into the game and fish bill less than a week after it removed from the same bill by a different committee. However, Gov. Mark Dayton's administration has voiced strong support for Schmit's proposal, creating the potential for it to reemerge before session's end.

Opponents of frac sand mining won’t likely see their favored moratorium in the Senate omnibus budget bill for the environment and natural resources. While the committee's chairman Sen. David Tomassoni said frac sand mining will be limited to a "placeholder" in the bill, he said the proposal's author Sen. Matt Schmit can pursue legislation outside the omnibus bill as the session heads for adjournment next month.

Environmental and industry groups clashed at the state Capitol on Tuesday in the first large-scale airing of the emerging policy issues that surround frac sand mining.