Residents of Lime Township get their first full look at a proposed frac sand processing plant.
It was a tough task to take on, as dozens of residents get a crash course in how frac sand is made, also learning about the environmental concerns over this particular process.
Numerous problems were mentioned in the environmental assessment worksheet, or EAW, from water to air to traffic.
The focus however, just may come down to a rare little bird.
Kirsten Pauly, a geologist who gave the presentation of the EAW, says, "The focus of the EAW then becomes the loggerhead shrike."
Jordan Sands listed several protective measures they would take to protect the protected bird.
Frac sand which the plant would make from mining on the same property, is used in natural gas mining, often referred to as fracking, which has seen considerable pushback from environmental groups.
Currently, no regulations are in place for the fine silica dust created during the project, though the company has plans for containing that problem as well.
Though that fight is yet to come.
Dean Johnson, a consultant for Lime Township in the process, says, "An EAW has nothing to do with permitting. I know a lot of people that end up coming to meetings like this where there's a presentation about the project, and we encourage to ask questions for clarification about the project, how different elements in it work, how they might affect you. But this environmental review process has nothing to do about the permitting of the project. That's a follow-up step."
A comment period will continue over the course of the next month, as residents and other groups ask questions about the EAW, and Jordan Sands responds.
Then the real battle will take place.
