GreenLight Metals Reports Copper and Gold Discovery in Northern Wisconsin

TAYLOR COUNTY, WI — A Canadian mining company says early drilling results confirm the presence of significant copper and gold in northern Wisconsin, potentially reviving interest in a site that has been explored for decades but never developed.

GreenLight Metals Announces Findings

GreenLight Metals, operating in the state as Green Light Wisconsin, reported Monday that six holes drilled this summer at the Bend deposit in Taylor County revealed encouraging results.

The Bend site, located in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, is believed to contain about 4.2 million tons of ore rich in copper-bearing sulfides and gold. Testing also indicated traces of tellurium, a rare metalloid used in electronics and solar panels.

So far, testing has been completed on three drillholes. Results from the remaining three are expected within three to four weeks.

“We’re seeing evidence of extended mineralization in these areas,” said Steve Donohue, a GreenLight board director. “We’re not at the point where we can say we’ve got an economic deposit that could be developed. We’ll still have to go through more rounds of drilling to get there.”

History of the Bend Deposit

The Bend deposit has drawn interest since the early 1990s, but past explorers, including Jump River Joint Venture and Aquila Resources, never advanced beyond testing. The last exploration occurred in 2012.

Dave Blouin, mining committee chair for the Sierra Club’s Wisconsin Chapter, noted that results so far remain preliminary:

“This drilling and future drilling might make the deposit bigger, or it might confirm that it’s actually a very small and uneconomic deposit,” Blouin said.

He warned that borehole samples represent only a tiny fraction of the total deposit and that mineral content can vary widely.

Next Steps and Federal Review

GreenLight has applied for a prospecting permit from the Bureau of Land Management, since the land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The company intends to drill an additional 15 holes as early as this winter.

Federal agencies are still determining the level of environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. Environmental groups are pushing for a full assessment, warning of potential impacts on wetlands and cultural sites.

Donohue said he expects the federal review to wrap up by the end of this year. The company also plans to submit a notice of intent to drill with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the coming months.

Environmental and Tribal Concerns

The project has already faced legal challenges. The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sued the DNR, arguing drilling could harm cultural resources and the environment. Although a Taylor County judge denied the tribe’s request to require an industrial permit, the case is still ongoing.

The Ho-Chunk Nation has also sought to intervene. Tribes have called for future drilling to occur only in frozen conditions to minimize harm to wetlands.

Neither the DNR nor the Forest Service has commented on the latest developments.

Investment in Exploration

GreenLight spent nearly $1 million on its latest phase of drilling and has invested more than $8 million in total exploration at the Bend site to date, including the drilling of 59 holes.

While the latest findings are promising, the path forward remains uncertain. Determining whether the deposit can be economically mined will require further drilling, engineering studies, and economic analysis — steps that could take years.

The Bend project illustrates both the promise and controversy of mining in northern Wisconsin: the potential for valuable mineral discoveries alongside serious environmental, cultural, and economic questions.

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