A Senate committee has scheduled the first public hearing in the legislature on the issue of frac sand mining in southeastern Minnesota.
                    
DFL State Senator Matt Schmit of Red Wing told Winona Radio News the Senate Energy and Environment Committee will hold a public hearing at the state capital on Tuesday, February 19th.
                   
Schmit says he has been working on a couple of bills on the sand mining topic but has not introduced them yet.  Schmit said his fellow lawmakers have a lot of questions about the frac sand industry and want public input as wwell.

While Schmit says he has been working on some legislation he did not comment on specifics.  But there has been talk at the legislature about a possible moratorium and a state requirement of a generic environmental revue of sand mine projects.