Clean-up effort at Jackson County frac mine spill

A clean-up effort is underway after a frac sand mine pumped some 400,000 gallons of sediment into Jackson County’s Curran Creek. The creek, which also flows into the Trempealeau River, has been receiving treatment from the mine’s owner, Wisconsin Proppants, since a pump malfunctioned on August 3.

“Wisconsin Proppants is in the midst of gently flushing the wetland to remove the solids that are mobile,” Andrew Savagian of the DNR’s office of communications wrote in an email to Wisconsin Examiner. “The mobilized sediment is then intercepted there, at Garfield Road, and pumped back into the pit.” Savagain said. “We do not think there were any impacts to fish or wildlife.”

Nevertheless, some local residents may see the incident as an example of the negative impact of frac mine operations. Residents in La Crosse County recently lost a court battle against an Iowa-based company, AllEnergy Hixton. The company is pushing for a $130 million project, which residents of the town of Hixton feel will harm their land and property.

A three-judge panel decided the families did not provide enough evidence to back up their claims. According to Wisconsin State Journal, AllEnergy Hixton president Dean Sukowatey argued, “No two mines are ever alike. You can’t transpose facts from this mine to that mine.” Two other lawsuits involving Jackson County projects are currently underway.

Environmental groups including the Wisconsin River Alliance and Sierra Cub have long pointed out the dangers posed by mining in sensitive ecosystems. Wisconsin has a dwindling number of vital wetlands, swamps, and water systems throughout the state. Such ecosystems are also crucial in Wisconsin’s water and hunting economies.