WDNR – The rapid expansion of sand mining in Wisconsin has generated much interest from members of the public, reporters, local government officials, state legislators and others.
In response, the Department of Natural Resources has prepared a detailed report that summarizes the best current information on silica sand mining; its possible environmental impacts; and local, state and federal regulations that address sand mining and processing.
A key reason for the expansion of sand mining in Wisconsin is the quality of our sand for hydraulic fracturing gas and oil wells elsewhere. It is the best for “hydrofracking.”
There are no oil or gas wells located in Wisconsin, nor are there any plans for such wells, so the DNR report does not address issues surrounding hydrofracking.
The report will be updated periodically as any significant new information becomes available.
The report is available on the Nonmetallic Mining in Wisconsin page of the DNR website.
