Legalectric

Hot off the press — or printer — Save the Bluffs has just filed an Application for Zoning Ordinance Amendment.

It’s pretty simple — Save the Bluffs is asking for a Silica Sand and Natural Resource Overlay District.  It’s pretty simple to do, too, just take the maps of silica sand information and natural information and put it all together.  DOH!  What’s not to like?

Save the Bluffs’ Application for Zoning Ordinance Amendment

Tonight is the Goodhue County Planning Advisory Committee where they’re discussing whether or not to extend the Moratorium, that is, after the Mining Subcommittee said NOT to extend it.  EH?

It’s third, last, on the agenda:

Goodhue County Interim Ordinance/Moratorium: Consideration to extend the existing interim ordinance/moratorium on the issuance of any conditional/interim use permit for a new silica/frac sand mining operation (Mineral Extraction Facility) within rural Goodhue County

Be there or be square!

Post meeting update:  The PAC voted to recommend the Mining Study Committee continue work on the two identified items, meeting scheduled for September, and voted to recommend the County end the Interim Ordinance/Moratorium.

Bernie Overby and Dan Rechtzigel were downright rude, bullying a speaker, and there’s no excuse for that — the chair needs to be the chair and stop that behavior.  Overby seemed to think he could pooh-pooh our filing yesterday, maybe do an end run around it, but it didn’t work.  He also was arguing against an overlay, noting that the Pepin County ordinance and limitation on truck traffic wouldn’t work as it’s a different situation here with all our industry (?) (Not one of them referred to the Le Sueur Mining Overlay District, and it’s not been included as an example in packets with examples!)  Hey, Bernie, Pepin County’s isn’t an overlay similar to what we’ve requested, it’s not about trucks — an overlay addresses many things, and in this case, we’re asking it jointly address available sand resources and natural resources that need protection.

Point of interest, some, if not all, of the PAC were not notified of the Save the Bluffs Application, and when Lisa Hanni announced it, some seemed surprised.

Let’s hear it for LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT!  Last night they held a meeting in Rushford, packed, almost ran out of chairs, good to see so many who want to take action against the frac sand mining push to sell our part of the world to oil and gas companies.  People get that the biggest issue here is corporate control and greed.

This meeting was lead by LSP’s Johanna Rupprecht, Megan Buckingham, and Doug Nopar, with LSP member activists Vince Ready, Barb Nelson, and Marilyn Frauenkron Bayer, and overall, it was well worth the drive.  It’s that same warm fuzzy feeling as filling a Taconite, MN gym on a -20 degree day, only warmer!

There are at least 11 mines proposed by Minnesota Sands that are subject to an Environmental Impact Statement, 615.31 acres, phased and connected actions under the Minnesota Rules and subject to a Mandatory Environmental Impact Statement because it’s over the 160 acre threshold.  Minn. R. 4410.4400, Subp. 9(B).

The EQB determined that these mines would indeed require an EIS (the mining companies try to say it’s “voluntary,” how good of them, but it’s not voluntary, it’s MANDATORY) in March.

EQB Board Packet 3-20-13

There are a few things that I think need to be done, information that needed in the public domain:

• File a Data Practices Act Request with the EQB and do a quick file review to find out what’s been going on with these projects thus far.  The public is left out of the “pre-application” discussions.

• Make sure the EIS scope is broad, and that the EQB doesn’t release a one-sided scope proposal that would take an act of Congress to alter… or a lawsuit!

• Details of ownership, who owns these projects, who is behind these projects, and how do these projects own!!!  Who in the community and which of “the deciders” are being paid by the mining companies.  Remember Dennis Egan, former Mayor of Red Wing?  Who else is in their employ, direct or indirect?  We need to know about these connections and obligations:

April Fool on April Fools Day!

Rochester Chamber: Egan, Broberg & others on frac sand

Mayor Egan Resigns

Where’s the Mayor’s resignation letter?

7p TONIGHT – Red Wing City Council Meeting

Mayor Egan to resign? Sand mining bill introduced!

Last Mayor Egan post before Council meeting

KARE 11 turns up the heat on RW Mayor Egan

Red Wing Mayor Egan exposed

Mayor Egan – the voice of frac sand mining!

 

.
You seem to think you’re Dog’s gift to this earth…

Two things appeared in the inbox at about the same time, the first an announcement of McKnight Foundation and Energy Foundation grants in the Midwest, and from Truthout, a review and interview of Ozzie Zehner, author of Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the Future of Environmentalism.

First, the massive foundation to “environmental” organizations:

McKnight fights climate change with $25 million in grants

The two-year grants of $20 million to Energy Foundation and $5 million to RE-AMP, a network of nonprofits, extend existing funding partnerships and the philanthropy’s $100 million commitment, announced in 2008, to blunt climate change. The two groups will focus on developing policies and public education to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio.

And on to Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the Future of Environmentalism.  GO HERE TO ORDER.

Power Shift Away From Green Illusions

Mainstream environmental groups are exchanging their principles for power at a suspect rate of exchange. It’s not just the alternative energy technologies that rely on fossil fuels. The environmental groups do, too. They rely on funding from the excess wealth accumulated as froth on the top of the fossil fuel economy. But it’s not just money. There are other influences too.

That pretty much sums up what I’ve seen over the last 20 years…

There is an impression that we have a choice between fossil fuels and clean energy technologies such as solar cells and wind turbines. That choice is an illusion. Alternative energy technologies rely on fossil fuels through every stage of their life. Alternative energy technologies rely on fossil fuels for mining operations, fabrication plants, installation, ongoing maintenance and decommissioning. Also, due to the irregular output of wind and solar, these technologies require fossil fuel plants to be running alongside them at all times. Most significantly, alternative energy financing relies on the kind of growth that fossil fuels drive.

…the binary aspect, and looking for a simple “flick the switch” solution when it’s oh-so-complicated.

City Pages screengrab from KARE 11

’bout time he got around to making it official…

Mayor Egan Resignation

Onward, and hopefully this time we’ll find a mayor with some integrity and ethics.

Mayor Egan, where is your letter of resignation?  Send him an email and ask him!

dennis.egan@ci.red-wing.mn.us

And the City Council too!

jsebion3@gmail.com, lisa.bayley@ci.red-wing.mn.us, deanhove@charter.net, michael.v.schultz@charter.net, peggy.rehder@ci.red-wing.mn.us, ralph.rauterkus@ci.red-wing.mn.us, marilyn.meinke@ci.red-wing.mn.us

After telling City Council members over the weekend that he’d be resigning, at the City Council meeting last week, Mayor Egan said he’d be turning in his letter of resignation on Tuesday.  That didn’t happen.
Then “the Mayor came in at the end of last week and said he would be getting it to us on Monday (today).”  Yet it’s not been seen.

Out with it, Mayor Egan, resign!

How hard is it to write a letter of resignation?  How hard is it to follow through on something?  How hard is it to keep your word?

Looks like the City Council should proceed with that investigation, and remove you from office, since you’re not following through on your promises of resignation.