Mining company receives state approval to conduct more drilling in northern Wisconsin

A mining company is one step closer to drilling for copper, gold and other metals in northern Wisconsin this month.

On Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources granted approval to mining company GreenLight Wisconsin’s plans to drill up to 20 holes across 15 sites as it explores the Bend deposit in Taylor County near Medford. The company must meet 25 conditions that include conducting work in line with amended stormwater and dewatering permits, as well as obtaining a wetlands permit for three drill sites.

The company must also provide the agency with federal approval from the U.S. Forest Service, an updated bond in the amount of $185,000 and at least 48-hour notice prior to beginning work. GreenLight has not yet done so. But the company expects to have everything in place soon, including federal approval.

“We’re anticipating that’s going to be coming here any day, and that will put us in a position to start mobilizing to the site,” said Steve Donohue, a director on the company’s board.

A Forest Service spokesperson said late Tuesday that the agency couldn’t provide any updates on the status of its review or when it may issue a decision.

The Bend deposit contains around 4.2 million tons of ore containing primarily copper-bearing sulfides with significant gold and small amounts of silver.

GreenLight is leasing mineral rights from the Soo Line Railroad on land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. Pending approvals, holes would be drilled up to 2,600 feet deep on fewer than three acres on the same 40-acre parcel the company explored last summer, said Molly Gardner, the DNR’s metallic mining coordinator.

As the DNR did last summer, she said the agency will be inspecting the site to ensure the company follows its exploration plan.

“We’ll continue that same level of inspection and site presence, which is a lot more than most construction projects,” Gardner said. “This is an important project, and we want to make sure it’s done correctly.”

While drilling, GreenLight must also minimize erosion and impacts to rare species, as well as properly document its work.

The company has not yet submitted a wetlands permit, which Donohue said would be contingent on site conditions.

Tribal and environmental advocates have expressed concerns about the company’s plans to drill in and around wetlands, highlighting that any work should occur on frozen ground. Some tribal leaders have called on the company to end exploration altogether, citing fears that any potential mine development would contaminate water and harm cultural resources.

Concerns have also been raised by the citizens group Friends of the Yellow River related to effects of water withdrawals on fish and other organisms during drilling. The company is proposing to use an average of up to 4,500 gallons daily from the North Branch of the Yellow River during exploration.

Donohue has said the company would conduct drilling in a way that avoids impacting wetlands, and it’s considering alternative water sources if necessary. The company plans to spend more than $1 million on its expanded drilling program, which is expected to last around four to six weeks.

The project is separate from the company’s plan to drill an area spanning more than 500 acres of federally owned land, which requires a prospecting permit from the federal Bureau of Land Management. Donohue said the company plans to submit additional information to the Forest Service and obtain approval from the DNR and federal agencies so that it can begin drilling there in late April or May.

The company plans to hold an open house on its plans at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Lake 11 Brewing in Medford.