International Business Times: Victoria Trinko says she hasnt opened the windows to her home in Bloomer, Wisconsin, in more than two years. Thats around the time a mining company began churning up silica sand a half-mile from her family farm, filling the air with tiny particles and making it harder for her to breathe. I could feel dust clinging to my face and gritty particles on my teeth, Trinko recalls.
Silica sand is one of many ingredients used in the hydraulic fracturing process. During fracking, operators blast thousands...