The proposed expansion of a Wisconsin Proppants frac sand mine in Hixton, Wis., has drawn opposition from nearby residents and others concerned about air quality, according to the Jackson County Chronicle.
Read MoreTag: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
New Air-Quality Study ‘Demonstrates Gross Incompetence’
Eight students and a professor from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire recently published their research on air quality near frac sand sites in a peer-reviewed journal called, Environmental Health. Professor Crispin Pierce said the results show air-quality levels to be worse than those set by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Read MoreThis Week’s Market Buzz
Now that the price of oil has dropped by 50 percent or more – down to $45 a barrel on Sept. 18 – frac sand production in Wisconsin also has dropped by 50 percent, according to a report on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Read MoreThis Week’s Market Buzz
Canadian National Railway Co. reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and boosted its dividend, but lagged its main Canadian rival in a key efficiency measure. CN Rail said it is aiming to increase shipments of crude oil and frac sand in 2015 despite a steep decline in the price of oil. “There’s a lot of investments that are being made by our customers…
Read MoreThis Week’s Market Buzz
Despite concerns about falling demand for frac sand in light of the plunge in oil prices, state officials say they haven’t noticed any slowing of mining activity in Wisconsin, according to the Cap Times. Deb Dix of the Department of Natural Resources, the agency lead on industrial sand mining, said companies are continuing to press forward. “I have not seen…
Read MoreThis Week’s Market Buzz
There’s been a lot of talk recently about how the frac sand industry will be affected by the recent drop in oil prices. But overall experts are saying frac sand miners shouldn’t be worried, there’s no evidence of a slowdown in Wisconsin, and it’ll take a lot more than a temporary drop in oil prices to change the demand for…
Read MoreReport Claims Frac Sand Companies Disregard Regs
A new Land Stewardship Project report claims to show that the frac sand mining industry in Wisconsin is systemically disregarding state regulations, a red flag to communities in Minnesota that are grappling with the onslaught of this industrial activity. The report, which is reportedly based on an analysis of public data and news reports, also documented over a dozen instances…
Read MoreThis Week’s Market Buzz
The Land Stewardship Project is proclaiming that 47 frac sand companies currently operating in Wisconsin were reviewed by their organization, and environmental violations and other abuses were found to be abundant. The violations outlined in the report include sediment and wastewater spills, air quality problems, and illegal drilling and construction. Rich Budinger, president of the Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association, said…
Read More