Unbeknownst to many, Wisconsin has played a key role in driving down prices at the gas pump thanks to its abundance of “frac sand,” a specialized silica sand required for the fracking process. The ...

BLAIR, Wis. -- Tucked behind a hill in rural Trempealeau County, farmland undergoes an industrial transformation. Outside this city of 1,300, Preferred Sands turns Wisconsin's sandy soil into a hot ...

A professor and group of student researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire claim they found elevated particulate levels associated with frac-sand mining. Although their studies didn’t ...

Jan. 7—EAU CLAIRE — After more than a decade of alternating boom-and-bust cycles, the regional frac sand industry appears to be stabilizing — at least for now. That's the assesssment of UW-Eau Claire ...

Frac sand production has increased seven-fold in the past decade, according to the United States Geological Survey. Thomas Dolley, a mineral commodity specialist at the USGS, said he can’t divulge ...

MADISON (AP) — Some energy producers are still willing to pay more for Wisconsin’s high-quality fracking sand despite increasing competition from Texas producers. Mining industry publications estimate ...

Western Wisconsin counties bordering the Mississippi River have a unique geography: steep bluffs with layers and layers of silica sand. The sand is extremely valuable because it's strong enough to ...

In a clash of old and new industries, Wisconsin frac sand producers say their business is threatened by a handful of railroads operating under outdated regulations. Wisconsin produces about a third of ...

Wisconsin has been a leader in environmental protection. This includes key roles in forming national organizations, the Wilderness Society, Sierra Club and creating Earth Day in 1970.