We, the undersigned, protest Winn Bay Sand Limited Partnership's proposed Larkin Valley Project, a silica sand mine and processing plant on properties bordering Snake Coulee Road, Larkin Valley Road and Schansberg Road.
Based on numerous sources of documented evidence that respirable crystalline silica is a health hazard, we believe that Winn Bay Sand Limited Partnership will be unable to prove to our satisfaction that silica dust will not affect the health and well-being of area residents. We believe that the proposed site is too heavily populated and too close to the City of Blair for a silica sand mine. We feel that the health risks associated with silica dust, the potential for groundwater pollution, smoke from smokestacks and equipment, noise from operations and blasting, the destruction of agricultural land, and increased traffic and railroad activity will negatively impact the lives of area residents. Furthermore, we believe that the natural beauty and bountiful wildlife of this land is well worth preserving.
