Starved Rock State Park and local communities threatened by Illinois sand rush The rush for sand to fuel fracking is on, and Illinois has a lot of it. In the fracking process, silica sand is mixed with chemicals and injected underground to break apart rocks and unleash trapped oil and gas. Mississippi Sand, LLC wants […]
Sand Mine
LaSalle County to vote on temporary sand mining moratorium
Tomorrow afternoon, the LaSalle County Board will vote on a resolution to place a temporary moratorium on new silica sand mining operations. The county is currently working to update its Comprehensive Plan, a document they regularly rely upon to make land-use decisions. The moratorium will not only (temporarily) stop new mines from going in, but […]
Glass Shrimp found in Des Plaines River
In a rare find, freshwater shrimp officially known as Mississippi grass shrimp have been found in the Des Plaines River. Shrimp are an indicator of cleaner water systems, so it’s a good sign that the Des Plaines River’s aquatic habitats are improving. You can see from the photo below why they are also known as […]
Press Release: Conservation Groups File Lawsuit To Protect Starved Rock State Park
Suit Asserts Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Mines and Minerals Failed to Comply with Legal Requirements in Permit Review Process Springfield, IL – On December 12th, the Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, and Openlands filed a complaint in Circuit Court in Springfield, Illinois demanding judicial review of a massive open pit silica sand […]
Starved Rock State Park at Center of Illinois Frac Sand Fight
Access pdf of this story here. The proposed mine would be located directly across the road from the park. The sand from the mine will be used for natural gas “fracking,” a controversial process used to mine greater stores of natural gas. Prairie Rivers Network and others are concerned that noise and dust from the mine will […]
