Sand mining company sues Eau Claire County

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — A Minnesota company is suing Eau Claire County over its moratorium on silica sand mines.

High Country Sand Co., of Winona, Minn., filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking the court to order the county to review and approve its plans to build a silica sand mine in southeastern Eau Claire County.

The lawsuit says that if approval is denied, the court should lift the moratorium.

According to High Country, the county determined the company’s permit applications were complete before it imposed the moratorium last November, therefore the moratorium shouldn’t apply to its project.

Eau Claire County attorney Nathan Novak told the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram the county board added an amendment to the moratorium saying it would apply to all projects, including those with completed applications.

Information from: Leader-Telegram, http://www.leadertelegram.com/