MASHINIi

Smart Sand, Inc..

SND.US | Quarrying of stone, sand and clay

Smart Sand, Inc. is a U.S.-based company focused on the production and sale of Northern White raw frac sand, a specialized sand used by the oil and gas industry in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations. The company owns and operates sand mines and processing facilities, extracting raw sand, pro...Show More

Ethical Profile

Mixed.

Smart Sand, Inc. (SND.US) presents a mixed ethical profile. As a frac sand supplier for hydraulic fracturing, its core business inherently conflicts with planet-friendly practices. However, the company reports notable environmental progress: emissions were down 50% in 2024 from 2018, exceeding its 2025 target. Potable water use intensity reduced by 11% and waste diversion increased by 6% (2024 vs. 2019), both surpassing targets. Its Oakdale facility holds ISO 14001 certification. Critics point to the significant environmental impacts of mining and the company's role in supporting fossil fuel extraction. In 2022, 50,047 MT of total waste was generated, with 14,053 MT diverted. Information on worker respect, community impact, and potential silica dust exposure concerns remains largely unassessed.

Value Scores

Better Health for All0
-100100
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity0
-100100
Fair Pay & Worker Respect0
-100100
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing0
-100100
Honest & Fair Business0
-100100
Kind to Animals-10
-100100
No War, No Weapons0
-100100
Planet-Friendly Business-40
-100100
Respect for Cultures & Communities0
-100100
Safe & Smart Tech0
-100100
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products-40
-100100

Better Health for All

0

No relevant evidence was found in the provided articles to assess SND.US against the 'Better Health for All' ethical value. Both articles explicitly state that no data is available for summarization or for SND.US regarding this value.

1

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

0

No evidence available to assess Smart Sand, Inc. on Fair Money & Economic Opportunity.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

0

No specific, concrete data points were found in the provided article for any of the KPIs related to Fair Pay & Worker Respect. The article lists the total number of employees (330) and a CEO approval rating (86/100), but these do not directly correspond to the quantitative thresholds or definitions of the specified KPIs such as living wage coverage, pay ratios, safety incident rates, or labor violation incidents.

1
The CEO approval rating is not equivalent to an employee engagement or satisfaction index as defined by the rubric.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

0

No evidence available to assess Smart Sand, Inc. on Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing.

Honest & Fair Business

0

No evidence available to assess Smart Sand, Inc. on Honest & Fair Business.

Kind to Animals

-10

Smart Sand's core business of frac sand mining directly impacts critical habitats for endangered species, such as the Karner blue butterfly in Wisconsin, whose range significantly overlaps with frac sand mining areas.

1
The company is not listed among the 42 partners in Wisconsin's Karner blue butterfly habitat conservation plan.
2
However, Smart Sand is a participant in the Texas Conservation Plan, enrolling 2,713 acres of its land for endangered species like the dunes sagebrush lizard and lesser prairie-chicken.
3
The company is also voluntarily improving habitat, including an on-site trout stream, at its Oakdale facility.
4
For public policy engagement, Smart Sand was accepted into Tier 1 of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Green Tier program on August 27, despite having been cited for seven air pollution violations at its Oakdale facility in August 2012.
5
Over 1,900 members of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters wrote letters encouraging the DNR to reconsider Smart Sand's inclusion in the Green Tier program.
6

No War, No Weapons

0

The provided articles do not contain specific, concrete data points or facts related to any of the KPIs under the 'No War, No Weapons' ethical value. Information regarding revenue from arms contracts, dual-use technology, sales to embargoed regimes, peacebuilding investments, conflict divestment policies, board oversight of defense, export end-user certification, lobbying, procurement compliance, human rights due diligence, ATT compliance, AI military safeguards, UNGP alignment, dual-use screening, surveillance transparency, ethical red lines, exposure to controversial weapons, war risk audits, conflict partner reviews, defense divestment, conflict minerals, peace tech investment, or conflict zone procurement is not present.

1
While a Code of Conduct is mentioned as adopted on November 3, 2016, with annual compliance certification required, its specific content regarding ethical red lines or other defense-related policies is not detailed in the provided text.
2

Planet-Friendly Business

-40

Smart Sand, Inc. has an existing SBTi-validated emissions-reduction target and has set a new 30% emissions-reduction target for 2025, which is aligned with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C limit.

1
The company had seven air permit compliance violations in August 2012 at its Oakdale facility.
2
While the company reported a 50% reduction in emissions in 2024 from a 2018 base year, an 11% reduction in potable water use intensity from a 2019 base year, and a 6% increase in waste diversion in 2024, the absolute values for total emissions, water use per revenue, or waste diversion rate are not provided.
3
The company's facilities hold ISO 14001:2015 certifications for environmental management systems, but no green building certifications are mentioned.
4

Respect for Cultures & Communities

0

No evidence available to assess Smart Sand, Inc. on Respect for Cultures & Communities.

Safe & Smart Tech

0

The provided articles do not contain specific, quantifiable evidence related to Smart Sand, Inc.'s performance across any of the 'Safe & Smart Tech' KPIs. Information regarding data breaches, AI ethics governance, cybersecurity investment, privacy certifications, security training, encryption, AI audit practices, algorithmic transparency, unauthorized data use, user data control, authentication security, vulnerability management, bug bounty programs, privacy by design, security testing, data minimization, regulatory compliance specific to privacy, algorithmic harm remediation, or digital rights advocacy is absent.

1
While some articles discuss general principles or recommendations for these areas, they do not provide concrete facts or metrics pertaining to Smart Sand, Inc.'s actual practices or performance.
2

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

-40

Smart Sand, Inc. reported an operational waste diversion rate of 19% in 2022. The company also reported no waste disposal violations in its 2022 ESG Report. No specific quantitative data was provided for other KPIs such as product recyclability, packaging sustainability, recycled content percentage, single-use plastic reduction, take-back program coverage, circular design principles, waste reduction initiatives, hazardous waste management, product durability, repairability score, waste audit frequency, zero-waste certification, material efficiency, packaging-to-product ratio, waste reduction targets, supplier waste requirements, or customer waste education.

1

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AI-generated analysis based on publicly available data. Not financial advice. Ratings are expressions of opinion derived from automated models and may contain inaccuracies. See our Risk Disclosure for full details.