Nearly a dozen western Wisconsin residents filed new lawsuits against frac sand mines in Jackson and Chippewa counties, while almost four dozen others are trying to amend four lawsuits against Hi-Crush mines in Trempealeau County, according to News8000.com.
“Frac sand mining facilities are destructive forces on our rural landscape,” said Tim Jacobson, an attorney at Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Butler in Onalaska who has been involved in legal challenges against several planned and existing frac sand mines in Wisconsin, as well as one originally planned near Zion National Park in southern Utah.
“These open-pit mines depress property values, pollute our rivers and the air, and shatter the peaceful lives and well-being of those who live nearby with blasting and round-the-clock industrial noises,” Jacobson said.
The lawsuits against the Hi-Crush mines in Blair and Whitehall, pending since 2019, have been put on hold twice.
The first time was when Hi-Crush filed motions to dismiss, which a court ultimately rejected. The second delay came when Hi-Crush filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs negotiated provisions in the bankruptcy court confirmation order to preserve the rights of those individuals to continue their state court lawsuits against Hi-Crush.