Alva Review-Courier -

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — Like the ghost towns left behind after the California gold rush fizzled, many of the frack sand mines dotting western Wisconsin sat dormant a year ago.

Piles of golden sand sat untouched next to stationary rail cars, with skeleton crews stopping by only occasionally to check on the idle facilities, the Leader-Telegram (http://bit.ly/2qwk0yG ) reported.

It was a far cry from the boom times of a few years ago, when sand mines and processing facilities popped up constantly across the landscape.

But even faster than the industry rose from the ground up because of the region...