Sand industry back in business in western Wisconsin

Like the ghost towns left behind after the California gold rush fizzled, many of the frac sand mines dotting western Wisconsin sat dormant a year ago.

Piles of golden sand sat untouched next to stationary rail cars, with skeleton crews stopping by only occasionally to check on the idle facilities.

It was a far cry from the boom times of a few years ago, when sand mines and processing facilities popped up constantly across the landscape.

But even faster than the industry rose from the ground up because of the region’s high-quality sand, it ground to a near halt, with hundreds of workers getting laid off, as a result of plummeting oil prices. For western Wisconsin residents, it was a crash course on the volatility of the gas and oil industry.

Through the slump, company officials insisted the frac sand industry would bounce back.

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