>>> <mariekov@gmail.

com> 2/24/2013 6:18 PM >>> The following email was received from: Marie Kovecsi 133 Whispering Lane Winona, MN 55987 Email Address: mariekov@gmail.com Message: Greetings, Sen Marty, I was on the list to testify last Tuesday and was not able to speak. Thank you for your offer to relay my message to all members of the committees. I am speaking in favor of legislation to set a state study and moratorium during the time of study for all new frac sand industries. I live in Winona and we operate as a regional hub for washing/processing and rail/barge transport. We currently have 7 active operations: 2 washing/processing; 4 rail/barge transport sites and 1 actively blasting mine, all within the City of Winona. Here is a link from our City website showing these on a map. (I will supply later, this cannot be entered on your comment site.) I live a short distance from the Biesanz quarry and during summer/fall of 2011 they began blasting 2x a day, 4-5 days/week. My neighbor's window was broken after one of the blasts. The truck route for this mine enters Highway 14 at a 3- way intersection that has "minimal" sight distance. (Personal telephone conversation, Rochester MN/DOT, January 2012). This is also the site of a serious of a serious traffic accident involving a frac sand truck. (January 2012) One of the 2 washing sites is located on a floodplain for Gilmore Creek which flooded in 2007 causing loss of homes and property. One of the barge sites has increased its number of barges to 48 per month. The frac truck math works out like this: 60 truckloads fill 1 barge, 60 x 2 = 120 truck trips (entering and leaving the site), 120 x 48 = 5760 truck trips per month, divided by 30= 192 truck trips per day, divided by 10 = 19.2 trucks per hour, or, about one truck trip every 3 minutes. This supplies sand for just one operation in town. All of these truck loads also are washed before being loaded, so ther is considerable cross-town traffic. Trucks come into Winona from Wisconsin, Houston and Fillmore Counties (MN) for washing/processing and transport out. Any new mining activity in our area is also likely to come for these services.

All of this is before our moratorium ends (March 2013). The City of Winona has developed different regulations during our moratorium than the County regulations. None of the regulations are based on any studies-- water use, air quality, property values, etc. A recent interview on MPR quoted both City and County staff asking for State assistance in areas where we have no experts-- air quality, water use, etc We need a moratorium and a study to set a "floor" based on state research. Locals can then set regulations for land use. Thank you for your hard work in this area. The citizens of Winona are needing help to protect our health, safety, welfare and quality of life. Marie Kovecsi 133 Whispering Lane Winona, MN 55987 507-454-4193 mariekov@gmail.com