Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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 is playing out in local city councils and at the State Capitol this year.

At the Capitol, bills concerning environmental and health concerns 

 the committee process in the Legislature. 

In St. Charles, the city council "rejected a land annexation request that could have made way for a major frac sand processing facility within city limits," MPR News' 

"It just comes to a point where you have to look at what's in the best interest for the community," Mayor Bill Spitzer 

. "It was a very tough decision, and one of the things that we looked long and hard at was, what's the total picture? We just felt at this time that it would be best to just step away and resolve the situation that way." 

Silica sand mining isn't new to Minnesota, but an increase in demand for the production of oil and gas has added pressure to communities. The sand is used in hydraulic fracturing, known as "fracking," to reach gas and oil in shale formations.

Gov. Mark Dayton has said he doesn't support a moratorium on silica sand mining, but would consider it if the industry were to 

We talk about the regulatory issues and the environmental and health concerns around the silica sand mining debate.

Gallery

Frac sand mining bill clears another hurdle

Dayton against frac sand moratorium for now

How Minnesota and Wisconsin's frac sand mining rules differ

Minnesota's frac sand mining rules already outweigh Wisconsin's

One-On-One: Regulating silica 'frac' sand mining

As fracking becomes a more contentious issue, so does the increasing demand for silica sand mining in Minnesota. What are the health and environmental concerns surrounding the mining practice?

Debate continues on frac sand mining's health, environmental impact

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