Wright County approves amendment letting Twin Rivers test closer to road structures with $110,000 permit fee

Wright County supervisors voted to amend the county road-use agreement with Twin Rivers Exploration, approving a permit fee of $110,000 and allowing the company’s vibroseis seismic testing vehicles to operate as close as 25 feet from roadway structures so long as monitoring shows peak particle velocity (PPV) does not exceed 0.5 inches per second. The board’s motion passed 3–1 with one member absent.

The amendment, described at a special board meeting, also keeps a 250-foot prohibition for seismic testing near bridges and requires Twin Rivers to submit test-route maps for county approval before operations begin. Twin Rivers representatives told supervisors they would provide daily reports and mapping updates and that an independent contractor will monitor PPV and provide downloadable measurement reports each evening.

Board members said the county needs assurances that drainage tile and other infrastructure will be protected and that the county will not be left with repair costs if…