This post is a write up of the [Frac Sand Tools for Action Event](http://publiclab.org/notes/stevie/07-20-2015/frac-sand-tools-for-action-event) that was hosted at the Raw Deal in Menomonie, WI on August 4th, 2015. ####During the event we went over: 1) What brought us to this point, a follow up on the [DustHack event from October 2014. ](http://publiclab.org/notes/stevie/11-10-2014/the-dusthack-report). 2) A review of relevant policies. 3) Updates to the low cost dust sensor project. 4) Introduction to low cost water sensing tools. 5) A discussion of advocacy approaches to the frac sand issue. ####Advocacy Strategies We spent some time identifying what advocacy strategies have been successful facing the frac sand issue in the past, and ideas for new advocacy approaches in the future. working to strategize on the best approaches we should take, we voted to sort out how easy and effective each approach would be. Below is a table of what we came up with:
Level of Difficulty | Level of Effectiveness | Advocacy Strategy |
---|---|---|
Medium | Effective | Get people who support our cause on commissions and boards |
Medium | Effective | Low cost monitors to engage the public and put pressure on the company for more oversight |
Easy | Might be effective | Write letters to legislators and town board members |
Medium | Effective | Support anti-hydraulic fracturing movement and everyone affected by the supply chain |
Medium | Effective | Multi-pronged approach- economic impacts of road use, impacts on tourism etc. |
Easy | Effective | Aerial images of changing landscape |
Easy | Effective | Images of runoff in streams |
Hard | Might be effective | Leverage peer-pressure at county level for counties that are less inclined to test or enforce |
Easy | Effective | High profile contaminant highlighting |
Medium | Effective | Produce white papers with accredited labs to give authority to findings |
Medium | Effective | Get plain english briefs about rules, regulations and relevant scientific findings to empower citizens |
Hard | Effective | Political advocacy |
Medium | Effective | Work with open minded media contacts |