JEFFERSON CITY — A group of Ste. Genevieve County residents has declared victory over one company and its plan to mine silica sand on a 249-acre site between Farmington and Ste. Genevieve.
The proposed mine first generated attention in early 2022, when residents in and around the Weingarten area of the county organized Operation Sand and raised environmental and health concerns about the project. The site is near Hawn State Park and Hickory Canyons Natural Area.
Newly formed company NexGen Silica planned to mine for frack sand used in natural gas drilling and/or industrial sands with a wide range of applications, from glass to computer chips.
Operation Sand pushed the county commission to enact an ordinance effectively blocking the NexGen project. NexGen challenged the ordinance in Ste. Genevieve County Circuit Court in June 2022, but withdrew its lawsuit on Jan. 3.
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In a separate legal fight, a state appeals court in October ruled against NexGen in its lawsuit that challenged the Missouri Mining Commission’s January 2023 decision to revoke a surface mining permit the Department of Natural Resources previously issued to the company.
“We’ve claimed victory at this point because they dropped their lawsuit that they had filed against the county,†said Jillian Ditch Anslow, one of the Operation Sand organizers. “That was kind of the last thing that was open — or out in the air.â€
Roger Faulkner, one of the owners of the company, said the company was planning a meeting to discuss its plans for the Ste. Genevieve County site.
Anslow said NexGen as a company appeared to be dissolving. She said the company’s website was no longer active and emails haven’t been replied to.
Anslow said the group is staying alert in case another company wanted to move in.
“But at the end of the day, we have this health ordinance protecting this area, and I would find it kind of hard to believe that another company would come in,†Anslow said, “and the first thing they’re going to have to do is sue the county that they’re gonna want to do business in.â€
The county ordinance states its intention is to protect Ste. Genevieve County residents from the adverse effects of silica sand mining, including the respiratory disease silicosis. The ordinance also states respirable crystalline silica is a human carcinogen.
The ordinance enacted setback requirements for mining facilities, such as no mines allowed within a half-mile of wells supplying potable drinking water for human consumption, or within one-quarter mile of an occupied dwelling.
Anslow said helping to organize Operation Sand and working together as a community was “one of the best things I’ve ever done.â€
She said there is a thought in a lot of peoples’ heads that “business does whatever†and that “people can’t really make a difference.
“We tried to just be respectful and talk to people and figure out what everybody needed and wanted, you know, and then communicated with our local government,†Anslow said.
“Your local government has more power than you think,†she said.
Anslow added good legal representation — the group hired Chesterfield environmental attorney Steve Jeffery — was essential.
“You have to have, like, a core group†ready to “let it consume their lives for a while.â€