Judge invalidates Wisconsin sand mine permits that threatened wetlands

Wisconsin environmental regulators improperly gave a Georgia company permission last year to destroy wetlands to make way for a sand processing plant, a judge has ruled. 

Atlanta-based Meteor Timber wants to build a $70 million plant to process industrial sand near Interstate 94 in Monroe County. The plans call for destroying 16 acres of wetlands that include a 13-acre swamp of rare white pine and red maples. To make up for filling those wetlands, the company pledged to restore more than 630 acres of other land, including wetlands, near the site...

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Ken Notes: We need statutes to regulate this industry. We also need to identify our master wetlands policy and stop having to deal with these plans on an individual basis. Also restored land needs to be placed in a permanent public trust for public use.