HOULTON, Maine — Wolfden Resources, a Canadian mining company based in Ontario, said Thursday it has completed 13 of its 15 planned drilling projects at its Pickett Mountain Program, located near the town of Mt. Chase.
Wolfden also said it had completed its deepest hole to date, drilling about 2,600 feet deep to test the ground for precious minerals. The company said the drilling results are encouraging, and that there were signs of high-grade polymetals such as zinc, copper and lead.
Wolfden, which owns 528 acres of land around Pickett Mountain, is in the middle of a review by the Maine Land Use Planning Commission to rezone the property into a planned development area. If successful, Wolfden’s mining proposal will be reviewed by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to obtain a permit to mine in the area.
The mine proposal by Wolfden has not been without controversy, as several residents and environmental activists have raised concerns about potential negative effects the mine could have on the area’s lakes and ponds, some of which are populated with brook trout.
People have also brought attention to how Wolfden’s lawyers attempted to circumvent several parts of the LUPC review process, including those on environmental protections. Wolfden has previously said that any environmental impacts would be minimal, and the project could help provide jobs to the Katahdin area.
