frac sand

Jan 28, 2015

In frac sand debate, both sides remain dug in

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.

May 22, 2013

Legislature finishes $38 billion state budget

It was four minutes to midnight on the final day of session when the Minnesota Senate passed the omnibus tax bill that wrapped up the Legislature’s work on the state’s $38 billion budget for the 2014-15 biennium. The down-to-the-wire finish followed a contentious final two weeks of negotiations between House, Senate and the governor’s office over the terms of final budget and policy deals.[...]

Mar 20, 2013

New frac sand proposal starts moving in the Senate

A new proposal has been added to the heap of bills to regulate frac sand mining. The Senate Environment and Energy Committee has passed a game and fish bill that would significantly restrict mining activities in southeastern Minnesota, which is rich in the silica sand that’s a key ingredient in the hydraulic fracturing technique of oil exploration that’s being pursued in western North Dakota.

Mar 15, 2013

Sand in the gears

If DFL majorities in the Minnesota House and Senate are to act on the brewing issue of frac sand extraction, they will first have to overcome internal differences that yawn as large as an open-pit mine.

Jun 15, 2012