The Webster County Auditor’s Office is seeing high voter turnout for the general election. Webster County Auditor Doreen Pliner told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning that her office has mailed out 1,772 requested ballots and 975 people have participated in early in-person voting.

“I want to remind everyone that if you did receive a ballot in the mail, it can be returned in-person to the Auditor’s Office on the second floor of the courthouse,” said Pliner. “The mailed ballot cannot be returned to the precinct, given to a person at the precinct or satellite vote center. It must be returned physically to the Auditor’s Office at the courthouse or through the mail.”

Pliner noted that all ballots must be in the possession of the Auditor’s Office by 5 p.m. Nov. 5, so ballots sent via mail should mail prior to next Tuesday.

During Tuesday’s board meeting, the supervisors also heard from Kyle Handy with Twin Rivers Exploration LLC and Robert Beal with Vantage Geophysical about upcoming seismic testing to be done later this year in the northeastern part of the county.

“We’re searching for natural sources of hydrogen in the county,” said Handy during his presentation to the supervisors. “We’re planning a seismic operation in this county and several other area counties. We are looking to see where there are possible sources of hydrogen, what the subsurface looks like from a structural perspective, which is why we’re seeking a permit to work from the right-of-way.”

This permit would allow Twin Rivers Exploration and Vantage Geophysical to operate from the right-of-way to utilize vibroseis trucks’ sound waves to create, as they described, “an ultrasound of the Earth.”

These trucks send “vibration energy sounds into the ground,” said Beal. “We do that every 90 feet down the roads. Then we also put out sensors every 30 feet. These are very small and very innocuous. These actually record the reflected sound energy so as energy travels down, it’s kind of like echolocation like bats use. It gets reflected and comes back up and is recorded and is then sent to a company that then turns it into a picture. That picture will basically show us areas that have the potential for hydrogen.”

According to Beal, these sensors, which are approximately six inches tall, are buried approximately six inches in the ground with the top sitting flush with the surface. As reflected waves return, the body of the sensors vibrate with the ground caused by the upward energy. The produced electrical current is then recorded and is called the seismic trace, which is a representation of the subsurface’s response to the inputted energy source.

In materials provided to the supervisors, Twin Rivers Exploration noted that these impulse sources are “non-damaging methods” and that they “expect no damage to any roads.”

In response to a concern from Supervisor Mark Campbell, Handy also noted that they will be staying away from farm tiles, landowner wells, bridges, culverts, and buildings.

During Twin Rivers Exploration’s presentation, it was noted that landowners would be notified at least two weeks prior to activity in their area. Handy noted that crews on hand will also be able to answer questions from landowners while the work is being done.

Beal noted that the seismic operations typically work 10 to 15 miles per day, so sensors would be on a property or location for potentially only 24 to 48 hours as they work more than 430 miles. He also noted that the hole created for placement is small and will fill itself in “within a day or two.”

Full traffic control will also be in place for all Twin Rivers Exploration work, including flaggers and signs both in front of and behind activity being done.

Twin Rivers Exploration told the supervisors that they plan to do a hazard survey prior to work being done. This survey will include unknown drainage tiles. Handy agreed to provide their documentation to the county so that all county records are up-to-date.

Handy said he anticipates the seismic operation to potentially begin in November lasting through February. Twin Rivers Exploration is also exploring areas in Humboldt, Wright, Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Franklin and Hardin counties.

The supervisors also approved the final consideration on the adoption of an amendment for conditional use permits should hydrogen or helium be extracted in the northeastern part of the county.

“It plans for future facilities that may be developed if an element were to be extracted and would need to be distributed by truck or rail or stored above ground on-site,”said Webster County Planning and Zoning Administrator Jeff Johnson.

Election Update

• 1,772 ballots mailed

• 975 in-person voters

(as of October 22)