Ho Chunk members and 350 activists, groups opposed to frac-sand mining, found themselves amidst a job fair held by ‘SmartSand’, a frac-sand mining company in the area, while preparing for a Hixton town meeting to determine if Unimin mining corporation would be allowed to open an addition mine in the area. Continue reading
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Wisconsin Frac-sand Mining Expansion Faces Opposition
A rural town of less than 500 people finds itself center-stage in the national fracking debate.
Hixton, Wisconsin, is home to a number of frac-sand mines which account for as much as 75% of the sand used in the fracking industry.
Fracking is a process in which sand, water, and chemicals are injected under intense pressure into a well. This high-velocity mixture fractures the shale rock beneath, and natural gas is released as a result. The collection of this natural gas has lead energy companies to invest in this process, and over 500,000 wells are currently open in the U.S alone. Continue reading
