Court rules against proposed frac mine in western Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A state appeals court has refused to reinstate a permit for a proposed $75 million frac sand operation in western Wisconsin.

The ruling Thursday is a victory for environmentalists who have been fighting for years to protect the 16 acres of pristine wetlands.

Atlanta-based Meteor Timber has been working since 2016 to gain permission to build a frac sand plant and rail loading facility on a property that includes a hardwood swamp.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources granted the company a permit to fill the wetland in 2018 but courts have subsequently blocked it.