WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – Some Marathon County residents are expressing concerns about an exploratory mining proposal.
The county is mulling a permit for Green Light Metals, which would be drilling in the Town of Easton near The Dells of Eau Claire River County Park.
“There really haven’t been any mines that have been safe,” one resident said at Tuesday’s Environmental Resources Committee meeting.
Other residents say they’re not against finding rare resources, just the digging methods that are planned on being used. “There is good reason to believe that there could be PFAS in the drilling fluids that would be used to test the boreholes,” a resident said.
“If contamination gets into that river, ultimately, at some point in the future, it will contaminate the Village of Weston’s groundwater,” a Weston resident added.
County leaders say this is the first time they’ve received a drilling permit application since their metallic mining ordinance passed in 2018.
There is still much more discussion to be had before any holes go in the ground. “In regards to the overall process, we’re still at the very beginning of this,” said Jacob Langenhahn, the committee’s chair.
Green Light Metals applied for its permit last Thursday and there is a 30-day turnaround process the county undertakes.
There will be a more detailed presentation on where it stands, with representatives from Green Light expected to be on hand, at the committee’s next meeting on May 31.
