Protect Starved Rock & the Illinois Valley

Protect Starved Rock began in 2014 when mining companies descended upon the rural community of Utica, Illinois, and began buying up the thousands of acres of rich Midwest farmland to strip it for silica frac sand. Over 2,000,000 pounds of frac sand are used in each fracking well to hold open the well during gas and oil extraction. As domestic drilling has increased so has the demand for silica frac sand. A public hearing ensued but the community lost. Farmers affected by the mines filed an appeal, but it was dismissed. We continue our efforts to raise awareness about the loss of prime Midwest farmland. Meanwhile, the mines grow larger and deeper every day.

One January 11, 2023, the Carus Chemical factory in LaSalle, Illinois, exploded and started on fire. The explosion caused a cloud of chemicals to rain down on the City of LaSalle. We are now helping with recovery and efforts to gather and disseminate information about the event and resulting contamination.