Winona County Board members have been invited to take part in a frac sand mining tour on Thursday being arranged by the City of St. Charles.
                
The tour will include a mining operation in New Auburn, Wisconsin, and a sand washing plant in Chippewa Falls.

A bus will leave St. Charles at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and a quorum of Winona County Board members may be attending......

The tour will follow a public informational meeting that will be held in St. Charles on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. at St. Charles Elementary School.

The community is being invited to learn more about the Farm2Rail proposal that involves 300 acres of land just east of St. Charles.

Farm2Rail wants to  build rail loops on the property for shipping and receiving commodities including frac sand.

Nearby residents have been concerned about traffic and environmental issues the development could pose.

Concerns have also been raised by the Amish community which populates that area.....