To force oil and natural gas from the ground in energy-producing "fracking" operations - - good explanation from National Wildlife Federation, here - - you need a mix of chemicals, water, and sand.
Wisconsin sand is essential and preferred to this effort, but mining the sand can foul the air and our down-sized, pr-business DNR isn't about to get, you know, all-regulatory in this area.
In Texas, (yes, that already bone-dry Texas) where fracking is rampant, the water table is stressed by fracking.
Back to Wisconsin (yes, the land-of-Gaylord Nelson and Aldo Leopold Wisconsin) - - we have a second boom along with the expansion of barely-regulated sand mining - - a boom in pro-industry wetlands and mining bills.
And iron-ore mining interests are saying their operation won't hurt the Bad River watershed and other resources so close to Lake Superior, as if these things weren't connected.
When they're all connected - - from fracking to the Xl Keystone pipeline.
Even when the 1% pulls the strings and runs government like a business.
As long as money is to be made, our environment will suffer. Mark my words.
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