HOULTON, Maine — Wolfden Resources, the Canada-based company that has applied to establish a mineral mine near Mt. Chase, has discovered new mineralization on the 528-acre property it has established on Pickett Mountain.
The company recently completed a test drilling program that resulted in the discovery of significant sulphide mineralization. While lab results on the sulphides are still pending, the company said recently that early analysis indicated that they contained zinc and silver, potentially increasing the value of the property.
“The [newly discovered area] is largely untested by all previous drilling and provides a significant opportunity to potentially increase resources at Pickett Mountain,” Ron Little, CEO for Wolfden, said in a written statement.
Wolfden is waiting for the Maine Land Use Planning Commission to complete its review of the company’s petition to rezone the area it wants to mine. If approved, the petition will go to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for a second review. The DEP makes the final decision on the permitting needed for the company to pursue its mining operation.
Several citizens and environmental groups, such as the Natural Resources Council of Maine, have stated their opposition to the mining project, saying that it risks harming nearby fish habitats and contaminating the area’s lakes and rivers.
On Nov. 20, the NRCM submitted a briefing paper to the LUPC prepared by The Center for Science in Public Participation, a social advocacy group consisting of scientists and experts who provide technical assistance to grassroots organizations. The 11-page document claims Wolfden has been unable to provide evidence and has falsely claimed that the mining project will be able to safely process any wastewater so that it does not contaminate the area. It also called into question the company’s financial capabilities and its claims of being able to provide jobs to towns in the nearby area.
“If Wolfden fails to treat its wastewater adequately, which is a major concern given treatment’s high cost and the unprecedented promise to treat to background levels, then the resulting pollution in the groundwater would be exceptionally difficult to treat, extract, or detect,” the briefing states. “This adds yet another level of unpredictability to the plan, particularly for a company without major mine experience.”
Jeremy Ouellette, who serves as vice president of project development for Wolfden said that the company is ensuring that the water’s purity is monitored.
“Treated water is sampled and analyzed [daily] to ensure it meets background requirements. Water can be recirculated through the treatment plant if necessary,” Ouellette said. “For these reasons Wolfden disagrees with the allegations of the NRCM brief that our mandate and expectation to manage water is unprecedented or that our well-thought out plans for water management are adding levels of unpredictability to the overall project.”
This story has been updated to include information provided by the NRCM and clarifies the DEP makes the final decision on permitting.
