Local Chippewa Citizens have been seduced by reports of up to 55 new jobs coming to Chippewa Falls.
The only official number given by Canadian Sand and Proppants Inc. (now owned by EOG) was 20 jobs, with no word as to whether these would be filled locally. As we understand it, the plant can be run by 7 (seven) people per shift, so when the plant is operating on a 24 hour basis, EOG would require 21 workers.
The City Council and EOG would like us to think that the truckers and loader operator positions will be new jobs. However, most of these jobs will be taken by existing local drivers who wish to work closer to home. Thus it is a deception to claim that these are new positions. In either case this is not a lot of jobs nor a great benefit to our bottom line.
Mayor Hoffman estimates that in 6.5 years or so we will be getting ~$200,000 in taxes. The city will get half ($100,000) and the schools, tec schools and the county will get the rest. It doesn’t sound like $100,000 is much money for disfiguring our land.
What does EOG get?
Well the STATED value of the sand leaving the plant is ~$75 dollars per ton. Reports are that the sand eventually becomes worth $300 to $680 a ton.
Another concern has been voiced by an engineer working on a new project near the old Cray building next to the Subway . Their tentative plan has been to put in a new facility in the industrial park. where they would be near the rail line. This new facility would employ 75 to 100 people. They will probably not put in this new facility if loaded trains on the current track (plus 6-8 new spurs shown on the CSP plans) run next to their sensitive machinery and there is fine silica dust in the air likely to contaminate their computer parts.
If jobs are the point of this exercise, wouldn’t it be better to encourage NON-POLUTING industries with 5 times more open positions than this Tier I heavy industry that will pollute our town?
It is still unclear how the beautiful town of Chippewa Falls will benefit much from turning itself into a dusty mining town.
We are looking for the answer, so if you have any facts or figures, please send them to juiceguy@juiceguy.com.
Save The Hills Alliance 
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