Minnesota Sands to reboot silica mining plans in SE Minn.

After a two-year hiatus, a southeastern Minnesota company is moving forward with plans to develop a silica sand mining operation in the region.

Minnesota Sands, based in Houston, Minn., has submitted a $130,450 payment to the state's Environmental Quality Board to fund the first phase of an environmental impact statement for the project.

After the company submits its updated plan, which is expected to span several counties in southeastern Minnesota, the Environmental Quality Board will begin its initial review of the project.

Board director Will Seuffert said the review will "identify potentially significant issues that are relevant to the proposed project, define the form, the level of details, the content and alternatives, as well as a timetable for the preparation of the EIS." The board expects Minnesota Sands' updated proposal to come through later this month.

"This is not something that we want to see happen," said Johanna Rupprecht, a policy organizer with the Land Stewardship Project, an organization that focuses on environmental issues and sustainable agriculture.

"We believe that a comprehensive, thorough environmental review is definitely going to show that this is not something that can be allowed in this area. The impacts would just be too severe for this to go forward."