Vox Pop - Mine company says drilling is an exciting first step for area

As a Wisconsin-based mining company committed to sustainable mineral development, we want to share exciting news that has the potential to positively impact Taylor County, north central Wisconsin, and Wisconsin’s mineral exploration industry for years to come.

GreenLight Metals was granted approval by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service to begin exploration drilling on a 40acre parcel of land in Taylor County.

Before I explain the drilling process, I want to introduce you to GreenLight Metals. We are a Wisconsin-based junior mining company whose board of directors is deeply rooted in the Badger State. Based in the Green Bay area, I have 35 years of experience in environmental permitting, mine closure, compliance, and environmental impact analyses for new mining operations.

Other board members include Ryan T. Bennett, an experienced mining finance professional and fifthgeneration Wisconsinite; Bill Johnson, a thirdgeneration entrepreneur based in Hayward, Wis. focused on renewable energy and sustainable forestry; and Angela Pakes, a Dane County, Wis. resident with a distinguished career spanning multiple domains including construction and engineering, who helped revitalize economic development efforts in south central Wisconsin.

Earlier this year, GreenLight Metals became publicly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, where nearly half of all junior mining companies around the world are publicly listed. Being listed on one of the world’s biggest exchanges and certainly the best exchange for exploration and mining companies is a natural step for our company’s growth.

Our mission at GreenLight Metals is to expand known mineral resources and make new discoveries on one of North America’s most prolific yet underexplored greenstone belts – the Penokean Volcanic Belt in Wisconsin. We are committed to operating in a responsible and sustainable manner that benefits our local communities, bolsters national security, and assists in building and securing crucial U.S. supply chains, all while protecting the environment.

Green Light is fully committed to transparency, accountability, environmental stewardship, safety, and community engagement. For several months, we have been meeting in Taylor County with Town Boards, County Board members and officials, and in public forums with interested community members and residents. It’s been an enjoyable experience introducing ourselves and engaging with folks from around the region about mining and the exciting positive impact we could make in Taylor County. We have been pleased with the level of enthusiasm and support we’ve received.

Located in rural Taylor County, the Bend Deposit has remained untouched since 2012, when drilling was last completed on a known high-grade copper and gold resource. We are eager to build on those results and, later this month, begin discovering the full potential of this underexplored deposit while upholding the highest environmental and community standards. We expect the exploration drilling to be completed approximately six weeks after we start.

Our drilling program will disturb less than one acre of land. Once exploration drilling is completed, materials, drilling supplies, and equipment must be removed from the site, and the location will be reclaimed. That includes a thorough process that begins with back-blading the area with a small dozer. Areas of exposed soil are temporarily stabilized using mulch to prevent soil mobilization. Revegetation of disturbed areas will be conducted. All boreholes will eventually be abandoned in accordance with Wisconsin DNR regulations. After successful revegetation, erosion control devices that were set up at the beginning of the project are removed. Finally, one year after final stabilization of the site, the Wisconsin DNR will issue a Certificate of Completion signifying the area is reclaimed.

To be clear: exploration drilling is only the first step of a lengthy process before a mine could, if ever, be sited. There are several stages in the mining lifecycle, including exploration, design, extensive environmental studies, permitting, construction, operation, and reclamation. Each step in the mining lifecycle requires science, engineering, technology, community involvement, and careful planning, and is governed by stringent state and federal environmental protection regulations, as well as financial assurance obligations.

The exploration drilling process we will soon undergo at Bend is only the first step.

We are optimistic about Wisconsin’s future in mining. Working together, GreenLight Metals intends to do our part toward developing America’s vast energy and mineral resources in an environmentally responsible way that will expand our domestic energy supply, create new American jobs, lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy and minerals, and generate revenue for the region. — Steve Donohue, GreenLight Metals.