(MintPress) – A proposed silica sand transport facility in Southern Minnesota has drawn criticism from the community’s local Amish population. Representatives from the community have spoken out against the development at local town council meetings, claiming that the extraction and transportation of silica sands would disrupt the tranquil, idyllic lifestyle of their community.
Many local community members outside the Amish community have expressed opposition to the proposed project as well. It appears that community members opposed to the project for environmental reasons may have found common ground with the Amish in their fight to limit the potentially damaging effects of silica sand extraction.
The development
Silica sands are an increasingly sought after resource, valued because they are used to help extract oil from the ground for hydraulic fracturing. The problem for members of the Amish community is less to do with the extraction of silica sands, and more to do with a new proposed railroad project for the transportation of the sands.
Daniel Gingerich, a 44-year-old farmer in the community, has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the development. In a recent interview, Gingerich said, “I wish the sand was 100 miles away.”
Gingerich, like many in the 3,275-strong Amish community living in Southeastern Minnesota, is distraught by the proposed development. The Amish typically live in quiet, virtually self-sufficient agricultural communities. Since the rail development appears to be the most objectionable piece the of the project, Farm2Rail, the company hoping to develop the railroad, has proposed several alternatives that could assuage fears.
Ed Berens, a spokesman for the Farm2Rail, has said that the company has met with members of the Amish community and is considering underground conveyor belts, and other alternative forms of transportation that are less disruptive. However, even the increases in truck traffic have drawn condemnation.
Speaking out at recent township meetings, Gingerich has said previously, “I’d say the biggest issue is safety issues, because we have horses and buggies on the road. They’re talking a minimum of 400 to 800 trucks a day. Every minute or so, there’d be a truck going, and we have our schoolchildren on the road.”
Local governments have already placed some restrictions on the washing and mining facilities associated with the burgeoning industry. However, some individuals say that the efforts fail to properly regulate what is a dangerous environmental practice.
Environmental concerns
Although the Amish are speaking out against silica mining because of the safety and well-being of their community, others have condemned the practice for strictly environmental reasons.
Southeastern Minnesota and parts of Northwestern Wisconsin have an abundance of silica sand. The unique sand is crucial in the rapidly expansive use of hydraulic fracturing, or “hydrofracking” as it is commonly called. The extraction, processing and transportation of the sand, environmentalists claim, is harmful to the environment, damaging the water table.
In response to this public opposition, Winona county decided to place a one year moratorium on silica sand operations. The March 2012 decision, which some see as a boon to the local economy, is designed to give public officials ample time to study the environmental effects of the controversial mining practice. The moratorium only bans the expansion of new operations and will not affect existing mining.
A study published by PubMed Health in 2011 found that breathing in silica dust can cause silicosis, a respiratory disease that can lead to coughing, shortness of breath, weight loss and ultimately more serious diseases, like lung cancer if left untreated.
The problem is a serious one for all living in Winona county. However, the underlying issue of Amish separatism remains an issue driving a wedge between the closed Amish communities and the modern economy.
As their numbers continue to grow, the secluded lifestyle is one that may produce increased friction between the Amish and their neighbors.
The Amish: A community apart
Most members of the Amish community are descended from Swiss-German communities. Many Amish towns speak all German, or derivations of Swiss German, further dividing English speaking America and German speaking Amish communities.
The Amish believe that having a large family is a blessing from God, so communities across the U.S. continue to grow considerably. A study by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College found that Amish communities grew by 10 percent between 2008-2010. The approximately 249,000 Amish now live across 28 states and parts of Ontario, Canada according to the study.
The search for fertile farmland has pushed many Amish Westward from their strongholds in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. The community in Minnesota is part of the current westward expansion of Amish communities, searching for inexpensive farmland and ample space to live without the incumbrances of modern society.
The Amish don’t use electricity and shy away from modern conveniences, believing these have a corrupting influence on their families. The Amish value modesty, believing cosmetics, jewelry and fancy clothes promote vanity, an undesirable trait that goes against the teachings of the church.
The secluded, self-sufficient lifestyle has, at times, put Amish communities at odds with the mainstream communities, and with governments. Issues of taxation and education have frequently put Amish at odds with the local, state and federal governments. For example, Amish frequently only educate their children up to the 8th grade since their labor in agricultural activities in necessary for the success of the community.