Environmental exemptions that would clear the way for a Georgia company to build a $70 million frac sand processing plant in western Wisconsin that environmentalists oppose hit a snag Wednesday in the state Senate.
… Opponents to the project allege that Meteor is gaming the system with the Assembly amendment to get around any adverse ruling. Company leaders have said environmentalists are trying to bully them and are being obstructionists.
Nathan Conrad, executive director of the pro-business advocacy group the Natural Resource Development Association, said the loss of roughly 16 acres of wetlands will be more than made up for with the restoration of the other 630 acres. Conrad has also defended the project, saying it will create 300 construction jobs and about 100 people will work at the facility that will process and ship industrial sand to oil exploration companies in Texas….