Frac Sand Songs

Small towns in southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin are the focus of intense attention from mining companies looking for silica sand.  The sand is used in the hydraulic fracturing process that frees oil and natural gas from rock formations in several places around the U.S., most notably Pennsylvania and North Dakota. 

Jim Tittle is a filmmaker and accidental fracking activist.  He’s working on a documentary called The Price of Sand.  Segments of his film were shown last month at the Flyway Film Festival in Stockholm Wisconsin near Lake Pepin. 

Todd Melby is a radio producer working to document the oil and gas rush around fracking in western North Dakota.  

Jim and Todd stopped by KFAI's Morning Blend to talk with Susan Gray and Dale Connelly.