Allamakee County Board of Supervisors votes to pass the Riley Construction zoning change request back to the Planning and Zoning Commission at Monday night meeting, 4/29/13.

Our blog has been hacked by Croation webbots. Please just delete any odd e-mails you might get saying they found your address on our web site. We are attempting to remedy this situation ASAP. There is NO danger to your computer or any of your personal information, but I have locked out the blog temporarily.
We're going to leave this up for a couple of days without pointing out the blatant lies and the inconsistencies in the statements made in the video below. Listen closely and see what you pick up.

"It's like a runaway bulldozer coming at us at a hundred miles an hour!" - Ric Zarwell


"Allamakee Country preserves some of the most pristine rural landscape - cultural and physical - in the entire Midwest. Mining would have a tragic impact in every way imaginable. Anyone who looks at the history of mining can quickly see that it never provides what it claims. One need only look at West Virginia and eastern Kentucky to see the promise of that industry." - comment left by James D. on our CREDO petition to ban sand mining in Iowa

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Please sign our petition to ban frac sand mining in Iowa
Go Here! 

We're over 1,500 signatures! Thanks to everyone who's signed so far. Let's go for 2,000 next.
Please ask your friends and neighbors to sign this petition to totally ban sand mining in Iowa!
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Bridgeport, Wisconsin and the "Runaway Bulldozer" known as Pattison Sand Co., LLC

It came to our attention this morning, it appears Pattison Sand Company is going to get whatever they want from the Bridgeport, Wisconsin town officers and planning commision. One of the town officers, Rod Marfilius, has been instrumental in making sure the CUP goes through for Pattison. The company has been given every break, every possible condition to make sure they reap huge profits and are allowed to operate unencumbered by restrictive regulations by the town officers and the planning commision. Is it just a coincidence that Mr. Marfilius is also leasing a large portion of land to be mined by Pattison? This is a glaring example of how the industry will do whatever they can and whatever they want just to get at the sand and make a ton of money. The ironic part of this? Pattison isn't even a Wisconsin Company. The only people in the Bridgeport area who will gain anything from this mine are the people who hold positions of influence in the area...like Rod Marfilius.

UPDATE: This mine has been allowed to begin operation - despite the obvious demand by local residents that more research be done. Every possible relaxation or elimination of restrictions on the CUP was allowed by Bridgeport officials make it easy for Pattison Sand to begin operating on this stretch of the Wisconsin River.


Quote from Pattison's website: " Pattison Sand Company runs off a solid foundation of Core Values. These Values include Entrepreneurial Spirit, Integrity, Safety Culture: Everyone is responsible for safety and pursues it on a daily basis and Stewardship: Building a stronger company for future generations and improving our community as a whole."

We would like to issue an invitation to Pattison Sand Company, LLC to begin listing all the community improvements the Bridgeport operations will bring to the people who live there, the people who (used to) enjoy using the Wisconsin River at Bridgeport and the people who use the local roads for their commute every day. Please feel free to email those improvements to us here - we'll sure list them! 
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In 2012, Pattison Sand Company spent $30,000 to lobby Congress regarding "Mine Safety and Health Regulations as they affect small mines". Below is the required Federal Form showing that expenditure and their intention. We will try to obtain more specific information from Pattison Sand Company regarding just what it was they were specifically trying to lobby for or against. Stay tuned...
LD-2 Disclosure Form
Clerk of the House of Representatives
Legislative Resource Center
B-106 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov		Secretary of the Senate
Office of Public Records
232 Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
http://www.senate.gov/lobby
LOBBYING REPORT

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page

1. Registrant Name Organization/Lobbying Firm Self Employed Individual
Patton Boggs LLP

2. Address

Address1
2550 M STREET, NW
Address2
 
City
WASHINGTON
State
DC
Zip Code
20037
Country
USA

3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)

City
 
State
 
Zip Code
 
Country
 
4a. Contact Nameb. Telephone Numberc. E-mail
 Mr.
 James B. Christian
 2024576484
 LDAdmins@pattonboggs.com
5. Senate ID#
 30906-1007832
7. Client NameSelfCheck if client is a state or local government or instrumentality
 Pattison Sand
6. House ID#
 319171256
TYPE OF REPORT8. Year
 2012
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) Q4 (10/1 - 12/31)

9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report

10. Check if this is a Termination Report Termination Date
 
11. No Lobbying Issue Activity
INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13
12. Lobbying13. Organizations
INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was:EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were:
Less than $5,000
Less than $5,000
$5,000 or more$
 30,000.00
$5,000 or more$
 
Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income from the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options.
Method A. Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only

Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code

Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code

Signature
Digitally Signed By: James B. Christian, Partner
Date
04/19/2012

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code LBR

16. Specific lobbying issues

Mine Safety and Health regulations as they affect small mines.

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

First NameLast NameSuffix Covered Official Position (if applicable) New
Henry
Chajet
 
 
Robert
Horn
 
 
Gregory
Louer
 
PlcyDir,Rp.Norwood,03-07;PlcyDir,Rp.Blackburn07-09

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

​

Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.

20. Client new address

Address
 
City
 
State
 
Zip Code
 
Country
 

21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)

City
 
State
 
Zip Code
 
Country
 

22. New General description of client’s business or activities

 

LOBBYIST UPDATE

23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client

First Name
Last Name
Suffix
First Name
Last Name
Suffix
1
 
 
 
3
 
 
 
2
 
 
 
4
 
 
 

ISSUE UPDATE

24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)

Internet Address:

NameAddress Principal Place of Business
(city and state or country)
Street Address
CityState/ProvinceZipCountry
City
State Country

26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client

1 2 3

FOREIGN ENTITIES

27. Add the following foreign entities:

NameAddressPrincipal place of business
(city and state or country) 		Amount of contribution for lobbying activitiesOwnership percentage in client
Street Address
CityState/ProvinceCountry
City
State Country
%

28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization

1 3 5
2 4 6
Monday, May 27 at 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Monday, Jun 3 at 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Monday, Jun 10 at 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Monday, Jun 17 at 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Below is a clip from Robert Nehman's film "Frac Sand Land". If you think the prospect of unchecked sand mining won't affect you, just take a look at this.
How does sand mining in Minnesota affect us here in Allamakee County? Read the proposed transfer routes for the Rein Mine expansion request.
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"An Eye to the Future" - Statement by Jeff Abbas to the Allamakee County Planning and Zoning Commission prior to the passing of the 18-month moratorium. - Video by Robert Nehman

What you can do:

Letters are a great way to start! Write a letter or send an e-mail to the editor of your local paper:
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The Standard Newspaper • P.O. Box 286 • 15 1st St. NE, Waukon, IA 52172
Telephone 563-568-3431 • Fax 563-568-4242 • news@waukonstandard.com
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Decorah Newspapers - Rick Fromm - Editor
fromm@decorahnewspapers.com
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You can also let the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors know how you feel about frac sand mining. Current board members are Larry Schellhammer, Sherry Strub and Dennis Koenig -- Contact the Board of Supervisors:
Phone: (563) 568-3522 or by email at: boardofsupervisors@co.allamakee.ia.us
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Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors - We need to send the board letters of encouragement to implement an 18-month moratorium on sand mining and all of it's pervasive industrial tentacles. 
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If you'd like to send e-mail to the members of the Iowa Legislature, drop us a note (staff@allamakeecountyprotectors.com) and we'll send you an easily importable text file with every e-mail address you'll need. All you have to do is "cut, paste and click".

Educate yourself...

The more you know about this issue, the easier to it is to see it's just not a good thing. Sand mining is destroying the Driftless Area - slowly but surely. There are some counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin where it just seems to be impossible to stop the machine. Here are three websites you should go through to stay on top of what is happening in these places that are so severely affected.
Sand Point Times - Houston County, Southeast Minnesota
Frac Sand Awareness Project - A regional collaborative dedicated to empowering, uniting and advocating for local communities affected by industrial silica sand mining
Save the Hills Alliance - Wisconsin Sand Mining Issues

Presentations to study:

Potential Public Health Risks of Silica Sand Mining and Processing
Wayne Feyereisn MD, FACP

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