DNR frac sand specialist to speak at Howard Town Hall

By LeAnn R. Ralph

TOWN OF HOWARD —  A frac sand specialist with the state Department of Natural Resources will be speaking and answering questions about non-metallic mining at the Howard Town Hall on October 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Deb Dix, who is based out of the DNR’s Wisconsin Rapids office, is the agency’s initial point of contact on frac sand for inquiries from the public, the legislature and the news media on the DNR’s regulatory authority and interactions with industrial sand mining companies.

Dix replaced Tom Woletz, the DNR’s frac sand expert who retired in June of 2013.

Prior to beginning her duties as a frac sand specialist, Dix worked with the DNR’s environmental enforcement program.

Dix will speak on the procedures the DNR uses to investigate spills and other problems with frac sand mining operations.

She will also talk about the DNR’s permitting procedure for frac sand mines and what the DNR can and cannot regulate.

Anyone who is interested in the subject of frac sand mining is welcome to attend the meeting.

Dix also will hold a question and answer session after her presentation.

Members of the public who are planning to attend the meeting are encouraged to be thinking about what questions they might want answered.

The Howard Town Hall is about seven miles east of Colfax, just off state Highway 40 on county Highway B in Chippewa County.