MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A state appeals court has refused to reinstate a permit for a proposed $75 million frac sand operation in western Wisconsin. The ruling Thursday is a victory for environmentalists who have been fighting for years to protect the 16 acres of pristine wetlands. Atlanta-based Meteor Timber has been working since 2016 to gain permission to build a frac sand plant and rail loading facility on a property that includes a hardwood swamp. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources granted the company a permit to fill the wetland in 2017 but courts have subsequently blocked it.
