“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
Help Operation Sand as we fight to protect the precious countryside of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Our mission is to stop Nexgen Silica from mining sandstone on a beautiful 249 acre plot in Weingarten parish of Ste. Genevieve County. The proposed mine plot sets atop a very delicate aquifer that feeds water into multiple surrounding counties and lays between numerous natural areas including a state park and a conservation area.
Due to the hydrology, ecosystem, and close proximity to occupied residences we know that a silica mining operation in this area would be a mistake. For these reasons we are determined to protect our community from this mine.
Get involved. Take action.
Show your support for the cause by signing the online petition! There is strength in numbers, and we are showing our elected officials (at both the county and state level) that we are united against this proposed mine.
Contact our elected officials and let your voice be heard! It is important that our officials know that we are asking them to stop Nexgen Silica from mining in this delicate area. Please remember that our officials are there to work with us and for us, we are asking them respectfully to protect us and our resources from the dangerous mining operation.
Our county officials have been wonderful to work with and we thank them for there support, and for enacting the county health ordinance to protect us.
At this time we need to continue to contact all of the state officials to make them aware of our situation.
Email the Department of Natural Resources and let them know your concerns! It is important that we let the DNR know that we are concerned for our community and involved in stopping this proposed mine. Even though Nexgen is not likely to change there plans because we show them what a mistake this mine location is we need to make sure the DNR hears our concerns. We also encourage people to reach out to the media and make them aware of what is happening here, the more voices that reach our to both DNR and the media the more likely it is that we will be heard.
Participate in our online raffles and auctions! We have acquired a great lawyer that has been putting in a lot of hours to educate the public and our local officials about silica mining, the permitting process, and what our officials can do to protect us. We are very appreciative of his efforts and he has been happy to work with us. All proceed from our raffles and auctions go directly to attorney fees.
Show your support with a yard sign and Operation Sand T-shirt! You can send us a yard sign request and we will deliver one at no cost so that you can help us spread awareness. If you would like to help financially and show your support in the process request a $15 T-shirt! If you are in the area we can get a shirt to you, if you are not close by you can pay via Venmo and we'll toss one in the mail for you.