Another legal judgement against a frac sand mine. The state Department of Justice has obtained a judgment against Completion Industrial Minerals, requiring it pay $80,000 for air pollution violations at its Marshfield frac sand processing facility. Wisconsin facilities that have the potential to emit elevated levels of particulate matter or other air contaminants may be required to obtain an air pollution control permit from the DNR.
Most of Completion’s violations occurred around the time its facility began operating, and the firm cooperated with the DNR and addressed the violations soon after the violations were discovered, according to DOJ.
Frac sand mining company Preferred Sands of Wisconsin was recently ordered to pay $200,000 for storm water and air permit violations at its facility in Trempealeau County.
Wisconsin leads the nation in production of frac sand, a key ingredient in the process of hydraulic fracturing. The sand, along with water and chemicals, is pumped deep underground, holding open fissures in the rock to allow for the extraction of oil and natural gas.
