Minnesota Through Wisconsin Sand Set For Fracking

Link here.

The gold in these green hills is sand. Not just any sand, but perfectly round, inert silica sand that comes from the 500-million-year-old Jordan sandstone formation that lies close to the surface in parts of both states. It's a vital component of fracking, the controversial drilling technology that squeezes natural gas out of solid rock.

Energy and mining companies are buying and leasing large tracts of land from Black River Falls, Wis., to Red Wing, Minn., and south along the Mississippi. Sand pits, processing facilities and transportation hubs seem to be opening monthly.

A big thank you to Greg for alerting me to this story.