Posted on 03/16/2015 1:13:25 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
MADISON (WKOW) -- Two executives who run a Texas-based sand mining company - which paid $52,500 in fines to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2014 - are major backers of Gov. Scott Walker's political action committee Our American Revival (OAR), according to CNN.
In an article detailing several big money donors published on Monday, CNN lists Bob Rasmus and James Whipkey - who run Hi-Crush Partners - as two of OAR's major supporters in Texas.
In August of 2014, 27 News reported the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered Hi-Crush Partners to pay $52,500 in July for operating two high capacity wells at its Augusta,WI sand mine without approval from the DNR.
In 2012, the DNR gave Hi-Crush approval to construct and operate two wells. But in November of that year, the DNR discovered the company had drilled four such wells. Court documents show the two pumps in question ran from July of 2012 to November of 2012 and at least one was without a water-usage meter. They said one of the pumps used more water than the company's permit allowed.
Hi-Crush has also donated to Walker's campaigns in the past. Rasmus donated a total of $5,000 to Friends of Scott Walker since 2012. Rasmus donated $2,500 on January 3, 2012 and another $2,500 on September 24, 2013. Hi-Crush Chief Operating Officer Jay Alston donated $2,500 to the Governor's campaign on November 6, 2013.
Gov. Walker attended the opening of a new Hi-Crush facility in Independence, WI on May 22, 2014.
"Hi-Crush is a major player in the frac sand industry, utilizing Wisconsin's natural sand reserves and delivering a quality product to major U.S. energy service companies, while maintaining a positive relationship with the Wisconsin communities surrounding their facilities," said Gov. Walker, according to a release put out by his office.
Last August, Anne Sayers of the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters feared Gov. Walker's close ties to Hi-Crush may have been the reason the Department of Justice failed to issue a press release on the $52,500 worth of penalties, like it had for similar environmental enforcement actions.
"That is the role of government, to be transparent about what is happening on the ground that impacts Wisconsin citizens," said Sayers.
But Gov. Walker said at the time that the League of Conservation Voters was simply looking for something to make an issue of during an election year.
"The bottom line still, is its a good company that employed 200 people in the construction, about 100 permanent jobs," said Gov. Walker in August 2014. "It's the third operation they have in the state and it was more of a timing issue than anything else out there.
DOJ Spokesperson Dana Brueck echoed those remarks last August, saying that she simply didn't have time to issue a release on the Hi-Crush penalty. Brueck said by the time she would have gotten to it, the information would have been dated.
The Augusta mine employs about 50 people, with the Independence mine expected to employ as many as 80. Hi-Crush owns and operates a third facility in Wyeville, WI. The Augusta and Wyeville mines each produce up to 1.6 million tons of sand per year.
The fine white sand from the Hi-Crush mines is used to extract natural gas through the process of hydraulic fracking in other parts of the United States.
bttt
Don’t worry, the sand mining has fallen with the crude oil prices.
If they don’t hydro frac, they don’t need hydro frac sand.
Falling Oil Prices: Frac Sand Suppliers Are Praying for a Rebound
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/01/26/falling-oil-prices-frac-sand-suppliers-are-praying.aspx
Microsoft was fined 1.5B in anti-trust back in 2002.
No one complains when Bill Gates donates $$$ to RATS.
this is news how?
Now what about those evil Koch brothers...who are they supporting so I can stop supporting them.
tongue in cheek statement...I guess it's okay for liberals to raise $$$ through unions and lobby groups they support...
Yeah, but the fine was BECAUSE he didn’t donate to democRATS. Clinton’s Just-Us department staring Ole Shaky made a point to teach EVERYONE a big lesson...
Of course, now that Gates is on his own he readily gives, but the Mena Mafia taught him well.
Defund and dismantle the DNR which has been commandeered by the far left, an enemy of liberty. Wear this affront as a badge of honor, Governor Walker.
bttt
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