The Intricacies of Natural Resources Management: Perceptions of Frac Sand Mining in Trempealeau Count

Principal factors that gave a boost to hydraulic fracturing in the U. S. included dwindling sources of conventional oil and gas, discovery of unconventional sources of shale oil and gas and improvements in hydraulic fracturing technology. Hydraulic fracturing which involves extraction of oil and gas from shale formations uses sand, water and chemicals. Under high pressure the rocks are fractured and are held open by sand particles to allow for free flow of oil and gas. Sand used in this process is called frac sand. It is exceptionally hard, pure quartz, with uniform size and of high quality. Currently hydraulic fracturing accounts for about 50% of oil produced in the U.S., decreasing reliance on imported crude oil from 60% to 39%, and U.S. interest in oil-rich countries. The frac sand mining (FSM) industry has grown exponentially and so have FSM facilities especially in Wisconsin where about 40% of frac sand is produced. This has raised controversies in FSM communities and resulted in inter/intra-community conflicts and tensions over social, environmental, economic and moral issues. This exploratory research was to investigate the underlying factors for support/opposition in Blair and Whitehall, both cities in Trempealeau County. The aim was to determine how perceptions have shaped public acceptance of FSM development. Using mail surveys and interviews with stakeholders of the industry, it was observed that overall, there was general opposition in both cities. Three main categories of perceptions were identified -- those who oppose (17%), the undecided (45%) and supporters (38%). Differences in 62% of responses across the categories were statistically significant. Principal reasons for support included job creation, economic benefits and contributions from mines. Reasons cited for opposition included perceived environmental and health risks and destruction of the landscape. In a logistic regression, factors which predicted support were institutional (preferred level of regulation), site-specific (perceived costs, perceived benefits and perceived risks) and socio-demographic (gender and city of residence). At the city level, there was less opposition in Blair than in Whitehall. Financial benefits from FSM companies, the concept of place attachment and the extent to which resident's everyday lives are interfered with due to locations of FSM facilities, were proffered as underlying reasons for differential opposition.