Wisconsin and Frac Sand Mining

A recent development in the petroleum industry has lead to a significant increase in the sand mining industry in Wisconsin. The new process is called hydraulic fracturing (or simply 'fracking' for short), and Wisconsin's sand plays a pivotal role in the new development. Fracking uses fluid pressure to create fractures into rock deep below earth's surface, giving access to the oil and natural gas reserves within the formations. The sand is necessary to prop open the fractures in order to extract the gas. However, the type of sand must be very specific; It needs to be very well rounded, extremely hard, and of uniform size in order to perform efficiently. Wisconsin's sand meets all of these requirements, and the fact that west Wisconsin has abundant sand reserves near Earth's surface makes it an ideal place to mine the sand. Figure 1 below highlights the areas in Wisconsin where the ideal frac sand is located (in red).

Figure 1. Quartz sandstone formations highlighted in red. Source: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/documents/SilicaSandMiningFinal.pdf

As can be seen in Figure 1, western Wisconsin has a significant frac sand capacity. Sand has been mined in Wisconsin for hundreds of years, being used for manufacturing glass, bedding sand, and even sandtraps on golf courses. The petroleum industry had also made use of the sand, but it wasn't until recently that the demand for frac sand skyrocketed to such spectacular (some may even say alarming) heights.

This new development doesn't come without its share of problems and issues, however. The rapid growth of the sand mining industry in Wisconsin has drawn attention from legislators, local government, and even the general public. Operations with such a grand scale are bound to encounter environmental impacts, especially when the process involves the environment itself. The notable issues in west Wisconsin are air hazards and road and traffic problems. At the mining site itself, heavy duty equipment is used to extract, transport, and prepare the sand. This machinery is going to contribute to emissions in the local area. The extraction process also produces crystalline silica emissions (very small particles that are similar to the frac sand itself). These emissions may contribute to an Inhalation Risk, though it is not currently a regulated Hazardous Air Pollutant. Furthermore, the transportation of sand from the mining site to where it will be used is a growing issue. Many of the local roads around the sand mining locations weren't built with heavy transport trucks in mind. The increase in traffic from this development will inevitably create problems with local road quality and maintenance.

Throughout this course, we will be using GIS tools and practice to analyze and predict the effects of this growing industry. We will be mapping the mining sites and railroad depots and analyzing the trucking routes to find out where there will be significant traffic. From this information we can estimate road degradation as an outcome of frac sand mining. Other possibilities include mapping ground water for potential well polluting, displaying areas at risk for air hazards, and much more.

Sources
"Frac Sand in Wisconsin." Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey. UW Extension, 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. http://wisconsingeologicalsurvey.org/pdfs/frac-sand-factsheet.pdf

Silica Sand Mining in Wisconsin. Rep. Wisconsin DNR, Jan. 2012. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/documents/SilicaSandMiningFinal.pdf

"Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources." Silica Sand Mining. DNR, 26 June 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/mines/silica.html