Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced an $80,000 settlement on Monday with Alpine Sand LLC for allegedly violating the storm water pollution discharge permit at its Trempealeau County hydraulic fracturing sand mining and processing facility.
Alpine Sand said in its water discharge permit application that storm water that had come in contact with mining, processing or stockpile areas would be held in retention ponds at the facility instead of being released into the natural habitat.
A state inspection on Oct. 9, 2012, found that the company was not following proper storm water handling procedures and on a number of occasions in 2013 storm water from the facility was allegedly discharged into the Newcomb Valley Creek. The company also allegedly failed to stop this practice after being notified of the permit violations.
The state claimed sediment-laden storm water from the facility led to severe pollution of natural habitats for fish and other wildlife and disrupted the natural flow of the creek water.