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 →