Fracking Sand Corp Drops Water-Guzzling Mine Plan In Kanab, UT; 1 Of 2 Employees County Commissioner
No, no, nothing corrupt or nepotistic here . .
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Southern Red Sands CEO Chad Staheli has said the company held mining claims on the surrounding 13,000 acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Through its two water service agreements, the company had also purchased 1,200 acre-feet of water per year. That amount is three times what was needed to produce their expected output, which worried some residents that the mine could potentially expand its operations beyond its initial scope.
Those opposed to the mine pointed to concerns that the mining operation could overtax the city’s aquifer, lead to a rise in truck traffic and air pollution, mar the landscape and deter tourism.
The mine’s supporters focused on the 40 direct jobs the company said the mine would bring to the area. They also called on local residents to trust state regulatory agencies, like the divisions of Water Rights and Air Quality, to place sufficient constraints and mitigation requirements on the operation.
Kane County residents also raised questions about potential conflicts of interest between the company and local government. Southern Red Sands has two full-time employees, one of whom is Andy Gant, a Kane County commissioner. Gant raised some eyebrows when it came to light that when he was still a candidate for office, he allegedly told members of the country’s resource development committee that Mitt Romney was an investor in the project. Gant later denied this and Kem Gardner, the chairman of his namesake company, said his long-time friend was not involved, which a Romney spokeswoman
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https://www.kuer.org/post/breaking-divisive-southern-utah-sand-mine-project-will-not-move-forward#stream/0