Canadian company moves ahead on exploratory drilling in WI

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — Armed with an exploratory license, a Canadian mining company appears to be moving ahead with plans to drill for gold and copper in north-central Wisconsin.

GreenLight Metals, of Toronto, has also filed technical reports with Canadian authorities that say the Reef and Bend deposits in Taylor and Marathon counties have "economic interest" that warrant further exploration.

The company says the Bend deposit, located within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Taylor County, contains 4 million tons of mostly copper and gold. The Reef deposit, which is roughly 12 miles east of Wausau in Marathon County, contains around 454,000 tons of gold reserves.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spokesman Ben Callan said the company needs more approvals before it begins drilling.

LINK: DNR website on recent and potential metallic mining projects in Wisconsin