LitigationWhere Mora’s fracking ban is concerned, the work is just beginning: Four private landowners backed by oil and gas interests sued last November, followed by a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell in January, alleging violation of their constitutional rights.“We knew we were going to get sued,” Olívas said.Mora County plans to fight, with help from the Pennsylvania-based Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. Given opponents’ deeper pockets, that could mean five to seven years of wrangling, and the creation of some legal precedents, Olívas said.Other communities that have adopted similar measures, banning specific corporate activities that harm the resources of local citizens -- Las Vegas, N.M., Pittsburgh, Pa. and more -- are watching.
Winneshiek moratoriumWinneshiek County has several mines serving local needs such as road gravel and dairy farming. However, frac-sand mining is currently not allowed under an 18-month moratorium passed by the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors.The moratorium, which can be extended, ends in December of 2014. The Board of Supervisors has been asking questions and researching facts about this new industry, such as water pollution from surfacants, air pollution from silica dust and road damage from truck traffic.Olívas also will speak in Allamakee County; Crawford, Vernon, Trempeleau and Chippewa counties in Wisconsin; and Hennepin County, Minn.The event is sponsored by the Community Rights Alliance of Winneshiek County (CRA). CRA was formed in May 2013 to peacefully assert residents’ constitutional right to local, democratic self-governance, for the purpose of protecting the health and integrity of communities, commonly shared natural resources and the future.