Monroe County Sand Mines: From Biking Capital to Sand Mine Capital?

Springtime is Sand Mine Season in Monroe County!

May 15 -- In the city of Sparta, work has begun on the U.S. Silica site, which is right next to the most densely populated neighborhood in the city. For the best view of what U.S. Silica is doing, ride your bike along the Sparta-Elroy bicycle trail. Meanwhile, Unimin continues work on the Tunnel City Sand Mine.

This video shows what progress the two sand mines are making on their respective projects and show the trains that made these locations so attractive to sand mines. Note the hills in the Tunnel City Sand Mine. Unimin will level them to get at the sand.

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U.S. Silica Site in Sparta

The sand mines are in red. The smaller sand mine is a county sand mine .

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Grass Roots Movement Pushes for City of Sparta Moratorium

April 16 --Two Monroe County townships have said "whoa!" to sand mine development and have passed moratoriums on sand mines. The problem for both of these townships, the town of Angelo and the town of the Sparta, is that they are adjacent to the city of Sparta, which has swiftly annexed land adjacent to the city and in one instance, approved the development of one major sand mine. Sand mine companies continue to put out feelers to buy other property adjacent to the city. Read more …
Wisconsin: An Industrial Sandbox


Sand Mines in Eastern Monroe County

The economics of sand and the dangers of silica dust, plummeting land values, noise, quality of life

Sand Mine Updates


Will Our Sand Fuel China?

Will the hydrofracked fuels that Monroe County sand is used to extract make us energy independent? Or is it going to power China's economic engine? Read more ...


Questions to Consider

There are many issues to consider when looking at a sand mine. Local resident Dan Frolo wrote a thoughtful letter to the editor last fall raising many of these issues. For example, how would such a plan affect the local water supply and septic systems? What would its impact be on things that are the essence of Monroe County--the bike trail, snowmobiling, hunting and fishing? How will it affect the city's waste water treatment plant? What's the impact on property values?

To read Frolo's letter in full, click here. Perhaps you'll have some questions, not just for U.S. Silica, but for your city representatives. Visit http://spartawisconsin.org/ for your alderman's phone number--and then give him or her a call!