Sand operation could yield fracking riches

[dogg57]

The family is putting 800 acres on the block, including two operating sand pits, a recycling operation and three undeveloped tracts, one of which has permitting in place for mining and recycling. The rest of the land is suitable for recreational or residential development. Equipment and other assets from the mining operations will be sold separately.Heun said the family will concentrate on construction, with an emphasis on large projects. In addition to many area schools, Albrecht & Heun provided site work for the Walmart in Rio Grande and the Cape May County Zoo.
Future Mining of Middle Township, a subsidiary of family-owned Albrecht & Heun, is for sale. The estimated market value of the sand and gravel reserves: $74 million — and the price could spike higher if the sand is found to be suitable for fracking, a controversial process used to extract oil and natural gas from the earth.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20120227/NEWS01/302270028/1006

 

[dragoncjo]

Terrible news, this area is special to me and I discovered an endangered species on the undeveloped tract.

 

[joc]

Terrible news, this area is special to me and I discovered an endangered species on the undeveloped tract.

Hi Chris - Forgive me for over- simplifying , but Isn't the state or local supposed to able to @ least investigate ?? If i remember correctly The walmart in Ocean Co was held up for almost 10 yrs ? . I understand its private land , yada , yada but what about the in-place controls ?? Can a survey be done to @ least relo the species ?? Don't mean to stir the pot , just looking to see if the species can be helped .
Thanks Chris ,
Joe

 

[joc]

Not sure fracking is legal in NJ ?? Is there any being done now ??
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/nj_senate_panel_approves_bill_8.html

 

[dragoncjo]

I think they use the sand for fracking. I thought the sand we had here wasn't the right kind, but if it is....

This spot is actually not the spot I was thinking of, this area is already a pretty active mine. I still don't know where the undeveloped tracks are and I don't like the sounds of that.

 

[46er]

I think they use the sand for fracking. I thought the sand we had here wasn't the right kind, but if it is....

Yes they do, and as the article says if the sand is the right type, big $$$$$$.

Fracking is now illegal in NJ for one year beginnning this past January. Christie conditionally vetoed the permanent ban bill, and recommended a one year ban, which was accepted by the lawmakers who could not get the votes to override the veto. IMO, a whole lot of noise about nothing, it just allows NJ lawmakers to say that they are the first to ban fracking

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...g-ban-chris-christie_n_1197075.html?ref=green

 

[Cecilia]

I, too, read this article in The Courier Post. As one whose property backs up to one of these sand pits, of course I am concerned about the likely hood that this could happen, not to mention if all the other properties in cape may county are sold by albrecht and huen for fracking. My understanding is that the sand is a much needed commodity for the process of extracting. No longer is the article available on the courier's website. I forwarded the article to the CM County Herald back in feb/march and never saw or heard another word about this. They are advertising the sale of the properties internationally. it is a concern not just to little old me, but our local environment in too many ways to mention. Where is the follow up???

 

[Cecilia]

Two different things are being discussed here. Fracking itself may be banned in NJ, but that is not the concern because doubtful it would/could ever happen in our congested state or pristine and protected pine barrens. THE MAJOR CONCERN, is the sand that is needed to do the fracking in other parts of the continent!!! If the sand that exists on all of albrecht and Huen's properties is fitting for the job, we could be inundated with mining and all that goes with it for a long time to come!!! Remember the sale of all these lands is being advertised Internationally. Fracking sites in Canada and other parts of the US need the particular type of sand that Southern NJ may well have an abundance of below our lowland soils. No chicken littles here, the possibility is real. If you don't believe it, I guess we should call the agent named in the article responsible for selling the lands to a potential buyer. What is his/her sales pitch?????

 

[amf]

Being for or against fracking in NJ is kind of a moot point. We could throw the doors open or ban it completely and the result would be the same, since we really don't have the geology that favors fracking.

 

[dogg57]

Being for or against fracking in NJ is kind of a moot point. We could throw the doors open or ban it completely and the result would be the same, since we really don't have the geology that favors fracking.

N.J. Assembly panel approves bill to ban fracking in N.J.

New Jersey does not have the large pockets of natural gas found in Pennsylvania and states farther west, but the state currently has no rules or laws for accepting byproducts.
At least three New Jersey sites have accepted fracking waste, according to records from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. They are in Carteret, Elizabeth and South Kearny.
"There are many safety concerns with fracking between fracking discharge, transportation, and wastewater," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "This shows why there needs to be an outright ban in New Jersey and the Delaware Basin."

An Assembly panel pushed back at Pennsylvania Thursday, approving a measure that would prevent hydraulic fracturing waste — better known as "fracking" from entering the Garden State.
The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee voted 5-1 to clear the bill (A575) and sent it to the full Assembly.
A Senate panel approved an identical bill last week, and earlier in the session approved a measure banning fracking, which entails pumping water, sand and chemicals deep underground to tap pockets of gas.
Opponents say fracking will worsen the environmental problems in a state that already has thousands of polluted sites. Thursday, a crowd of them rallied in front of the Statehouse before the vote.
"All of the evidence we’ve seen to date has shown fracking to be a reckless endangerment to our environment and to the health of the general public," said Assemblywoman Grace Spencer (D-Essex), chairwoman of the committee.
Seth Augenstein/The Star-Ledger

 

[Boyd]

THE MAJOR CONCERN, is the sand that is needed to do the fracking in other parts of the continent!!! If the sand that exists on all of albrecht and Huen's properties is fitting for the job, we could be inundated with mining and all that goes with it for a long time to come!!!

That is interesting - but I have no idea whether it would be economical to export NJ sand for fracking. Here's a little info from a quick search: http://energy.about.com/od/drilling/qt/What-Is-Fracking-Sand.htm

The term "fracking sand" refers to sand and similar small materials that serve as “proppants” -- which are blasted under pressure into a shale gas well along with large quantities of water and industrial fluids to stimulate gas production. Proppants are used to “prop” open the underground cracks from which natural gas is harvested during hydraulic fracturing.

Typical proppants include actual sand crystals (such as from quartz/silica or sandstone), sand that has been industrially coated with resin (called resin-enhanced sand), ceramic crystals, or other suitable materials.

Industry publications estimate that each shale gas well requires approximately 5 million pounds of sand or other proppant for the hydraulic fracturing process. The quantity of proppant can vary from as low as 2.5 million pounds to up to about 7 million pounds, depending on specific geological variations and characteristics of a shale formation.

My understanding is that traditional sand mining operations have been grandfathered into the pinelands regulations. So really I think the concern would be with these existing operations, or maybe abandoned sand pits that may still be used. And it really shouldn't matter what the sand is ultimately being used for, whether it's highway construction or fracking in another state. The environmental impact on the pines should be the same.

There's a small sand pit down the road from my house and it has been inactive in the 6 years that I've lived here. Then about 6 months ago I guess they got a new contract because the sand trucks were rolling all day long, only a few hundred feet apart coming down the road. Fortunately the route didn't take them past my house, but the people at the other end of my road were probably not too happy about this. Whatever they were doing, it seems to be over again and the pit has been quiet recently.

 

[Cecilia]

Please sir, you're are not getting it. Albrecht and Huehn IS NOT advertising to sell any land in south Hersey for FRACKING on site anywhere. THEY WANT TO SELL THE LAND SO THAT IT CAN BE MINED for the valuable PURE WHITE SAND BENEATH IT!!! TO do the fracking for oil, natural gas elsewhere, PURE WHITE SAND is needed to extract the oil and or natural gas from the rock surrounding it. The law they passed is exactly what you say--a moot point--perhaps meant to distract people from the real danger. They would be mining and transporting this sand all over the continent if the sand is of the quality needed and the sales go through. I have never been concerned about drilling for oil or natural gas in NJ, not yet anyway. But we sure do sit on a lot of sand in south jersey, and my only hope right now is that it is not of the quality needed for fracking ELSEWHERE on the continent.

 

[Cecilia]

Because zoning in many of these towns allowed for things to be built up all around these "closed" pits.

 

[Boyd]

Coming to this site and YELLING at the members (through the use of capital letters) makes me think you're the one who doesn't "get it". Try to calm down, we don't make make the zoning laws around here.

 

[dragoncjo]

It was my knowledge that the sand here is not good for fracking, I hope that wasn't misinformation.

 

[Cecilia]

Coming to this site and YELLING at the members (through the use of capital letters) makes me think you're the one who doesn't "get it". Try to calm down, we don't make make the zoning laws around here.

By using capital letters, I am simply emphasizing my particular thought, NOT yelling. I do not believe that the use of capital letters in cyber world means that one is yelling--makes no sense--because you need audio to know for a fact that one is yelling or talking loudly. Even silent movies couldn't prove the sound or loudness of one's voice through their very animated video. Capital letters in writing and yelling ARE NOT EQUIVALENT because the written word has no sound, other than that which we imagine. Anyway, back to the issue of mining sand for fracking--I apologize, IF I am ignorant to certain facts regarding the impact this mining would have on our environment, here in South Jersey, and our quality of life. I will do my best to keep my eyes open and my ears listening. I do not apologize for my concern or wanting to know more from my government and environmental experts; that is what brought me to this website in the first place. We have a right to question zoning laws, absolutely. Many have been made throughout the country, yet alone our state, our counties, and our communities right here in New Jersey that negatively impacted us. Damn right, we should question them. Very calmly, as usually I am, my wish to you is for a VERY NICE WEEKEND.

 

[dogg57]

There’s no gold in the sand and gravel pits that have operated for generations in a sleepy, rural strip west of the Jersey Shore. But there could be a fortune. Future Mining of Middle Township, a subsidiary of family-owned Albrecht & Heun, is for sale. The estimated market value of the sand and gravel reserves: $74 million – and the price could spike higher if the sand is found to be suitable for fracking, a controversial process used to extract oil and natural gas from the earth.
“If there is frack sand, it will dramatically increase the value,” says Hank Waida, managing partner of Equity Partners, the Maryland-based firm retained to sell the business. The company has not yet received a final report on whether the sand is suitable for fracking, a process in which sand is mixed with water and chemicals and forced deep underground to fracture shale deposits that hold oil and natural gas.
http://www.snjdc.org/2012/02/sand-operation-could-yield-fracking-riches/

 

[Cecilia]

It was my knowledge that the sand here is not good for fracking, I hope that wasn't misinformation.

I hope that is true, but I would have to know more about why Albrecht and Huen think they can sell their land to companies interested in sand for fracking, just going by the article I read right now and wishing someone with more clout than myself did a follow-up, that's all.

 

[Cecilia]

There’s no gold in the sand and gravel pits that have operated for generations in a sleepy, rural strip west of the Jersey Shore. But there could be a fortune. Future Mining of Middle Township, a subsidiary of family-owned Albrecht & Heun, is for sale. The estimated market value of the sand and gravel reserves: $74 million – and the price could spike higher if the sand is found to be suitable for fracking, a controversial process used to extract oil and natural gas from the earth.
“If there is frack sand, it will dramatically increase the value,” says Hank Waida, managing partner of Equity Partners, the Maryland-based firm retained to sell the business. The company has not yet received a final report on whether the sand is suitable for fracking, a process in which sand is mixed with water and chemicals and forced deep underground to fracture shale deposits that hold oil and natural gas.
http://www.snjdc.org/2012/02/sand-operation-could-yield-fracking-riches/

THANK YOU! That's all I was trying to get out there. I wanted to know, too, where to go to find out the status of the venture. Of course I hope the sand is not what is needed, but if it is I definitely have concerns as I live in the middle of Middle Township. Not to say, I don't want it happening anywhere in South Jersey especially in or near the pine barrens. We might need the land for a lot of misplaced black bear sooner than later.

 

[dogg57]

By using capital letters, I am simply emphasizing my particular thought, NOT yelling. I do not believe that the use of capital letters in cyber world means that one is yelling--makes no sense--because you need audio to know for a fact that one is yelling or talking loudly. Even silent movies couldn't prove the sound or loudness of one's voice through their very animated video. Capital letters in writing and yelling ARE NOT EQUIVALENT because the written word has no sound, other than that which we imagine. .

Using all capital letters in electronic communication is like shouting at someone in person. It is a common technique used by HUSTLERS to get attention.
It does not matter what form of internet communication you are using, shouting is not acceptable. There are caveats and exceptions. Subject lines, headings, and advertisements are often in all capital letters for readability reasons.
No one likes to be yelled at, but every once in a while you have to shout at someone to get their attention. Therefore, using all caps is bad netiquette because it's shouting, but is acceptable for certain reasons.
It is acceptable for website heading to be in all caps, but not personal messages. All Caps is popular on classified advertising and auction websites because it is a good way to make your ad stand out. I do not recommend responding to ads with all caps.
In reality, shouting at someone is done to get their attention through intimidation. Shouting breaks the standard level of volume and tone, a voice should carry, to force someone into doing something. This is not socially acceptable in a civilized society because it is a use of force not reason.
Shouting at people is unreasonable in most cases. It raises the case that standard text should carry. It is not acceptable in a civilized cybersphere. Therefore, it is bad netiquette to use all caps because it is unacceptable to yell at people in a civilized society or cybersphere. Do not digitally disrespect others by using all caps.


http://networketiquette.net/do_not_use_all_caps.htm