Resumen de Tackling NIMBYism in frac sand mining
Not only must frac sand mining companies battle public opposition against their own facilities, but as drilling companies face similar challenges, industrial minerals which feed into the unconventional gas industry such as bentonite, barite (barytes), borates and frac sand risk a decline in demand as extraction sites lay dormant due to public outcry.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the state of Wisconsin, which holds the largest number of frac sand mines, as opponents' urge legislators to take action to prevent new frac sand mining opportunities from coming to fruition.
Be assured, the denser the country, the less likely it is for an industry to 'slip in' under the radar. The UK, for example, is one of the densest countries in the European Union in terms of population, and as of 2010, the UK had 40 different silica sand mines in operation. As a result of this high population density, many extraction sites are located on private land in settled communities. NIMBY-ism should be of major concern to every driller looking to extract from the country, making strategic public outreach an imperative.
