Citizens raise mining concerns

Langenhahn says Green Light Metals will be asked to explain project

Marathon County Environmental Resource Committee chairman Jacob Langenhahn, town of Marathon, on Tuesday told a group of citizens that he hoped to have Vancouver-based Green Light Metals explain on May 31 their plans to explore for gold in the town of Easton. He said he would have county staff explain the procedures and safeguards built into a county metallic mining ordinance passed four years ago. Langenhahn said he hopes that the future presentations would answer questions posed by citizens, many who fretted during public statements at the start of the committee meeting that fluids used in test hole drilling might introduce cancer-causing chemicals into groundwater.

“I want to thank all of the members of the public at today’s meeting,” he said. “I am excited to see the interest. I understand there is concern. I look forward to more public input as this goes on.”

Seven citizens expressed concern about Green Light Metals’ confirmed application to Marathon County to explore for gold.

Nancy Tabaka Stencil, who said she lives a mile from a well condemned due to PFAs, said the county needed to make sure that drilling fluids used by Green Light Metals do not contain the cancer causing “forever” chemicals. She said the county needed to establish a baseline water quality index at the site to be able to know whether company activity polluted any water.

Bill Duncanson, a former county parks director, said any mine developed by Green Light Metals would inevitably pollute the groundwater. He said there was no sulfide mine in the world that doesn’t pollute. He said mine tailings were “nasty, toxic stuff” that were impossible to contain.

He said the cost of environmental repair to the mining site would far outweigh the economic benefit of having the mine. “It’s a net loss,” Duncanson said.

Antigo anti-mining activist Ron James, who did not speak to the committee, said after the session the DNR has approved 204 chemicals for use in state metallic mines. Many of the chemicals, he said, are, according to manufacturer literature, cancer causing and should never be introduced to groundwater. James said it is unknown what drilling fluids the company, in fact, will use.

James said the Green Light Metals literature explains that test holes for the Easton mine, known as the Reef deposit, will come within one mile of the Eau Claire River. The mine site is also in the vicinity of the Eau Claire Dells and the Ice Age Trail.

Various companies over the years have explored for gold at the site near the intersection of Thornapple and Gold Dust Rds. There are currently 129 test holes already drilled at the site, said James.