1
00:00:00,801 --> 00:00:01,502
There is exploratory drilling

2
00:00:01,568 --> 00:00:02,369
drilling underway in

3
00:00:02,436 --> 00:00:03,470
northern Wisconsin

4
00:00:03,537 --> 00:00:04,404
and a company called

5
00:00:04,471 --> 00:00:05,439
GreenLight Metals

6
00:00:05,506 --> 00:00:06,340
is hoping to prove

7
00:00:06,406 --> 00:00:07,541
that a deposit of copper

8
00:00:07,608 --> 00:00:09,109
in the bedrock is worth

9
00:00:09,176 --> 00:00:10,744
mining in Taylor County.

10
00:00:10,811 --> 00:00:11,512
Meanwhile

11
00:00:11,578 --> 00:00:12,846
environmental groups are saying

12
00:00:12,913 --> 00:00:13,780
the mining industry

13
00:00:13,847 --> 00:00:14,815
still hasn't proved

14
00:00:14,882 --> 00:00:16,049
they can safely mine

15
00:00:16,116 --> 00:00:17,784
metallic sulfide deposits

16
00:00:17,851 --> 00:00:18,585
without polluting

17
00:00:18,652 --> 00:00:19,820
the groundwater.

18
00:00:19,887 --> 00:00:20,587
I'm Here & Now

19
00:00:20,654 --> 00:00:21,655
senior political reporter

20
00:00:21,722 --> 00:00:22,689
Zac Schultz.

21
00:00:22,756 --> 00:00:23,724
Both sides agree

22
00:00:23,790 --> 00:00:24,758
we're years away

23
00:00:24,825 --> 00:00:26,293
from a company applying

24
00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:27,661
for a mining permit.

25
00:00:27,728 --> 00:00:28,362
But GreenLight

26
00:00:28,428 --> 00:00:29,863
says the demand for copper

27
00:00:29,930 --> 00:00:31,198
and a rare earth element

28
00:00:31,265 --> 00:00:32,499
called tellurium

29
00:00:32,566 --> 00:00:33,734
means the Bend Deposit

30
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:35,602
has both financial value

31
00:00:35,669 --> 00:00:37,538
and national security value

32
00:00:37,604 --> 00:00:38,205
as the U.S.

33
00:00:38,272 --> 00:00:39,173
tries to move away

34
00:00:39,239 --> 00:00:40,140
from reliance on

35
00:00:40,207 --> 00:00:41,441
foreign adversaries

36
00:00:41,508 --> 00:00:42,643
for these metals.

37
00:00:42,709 --> 00:00:44,011
But this potential mine

38
00:00:44,077 --> 00:00:46,413
sits under national forest land

39
00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:47,614
and just 100 yards

40
00:00:47,681 --> 00:00:48,882
from the Yellow River

41
00:00:48,949 --> 00:00:50,284
and groups like the Wisconsin

42
00:00:50,350 --> 00:00:51,852
chapter of the Sierra Club

43
00:00:51,919 --> 00:00:53,187
say the amount of minerals

44
00:00:53,253 --> 00:00:54,721
buried 1,500 feet

45
00:00:54,788 --> 00:00:55,822
under the ground

46
00:00:55,889 --> 00:00:56,623
aren't worth the

47
00:00:56,690 --> 00:00:57,424
potential damage

48
00:00:57,491 --> 00:00:59,059
a mine and crushing facility

49
00:00:59,126 --> 00:01:00,260
and tailings pond

50
00:01:00,327 --> 00:01:00,894
could bring

51
00:01:00,961 --> 00:01:02,396
to northern Wisconsin.

52
00:01:02,462 --> 00:01:03,263
The company says

53
00:01:03,330 --> 00:01:04,231
their last round

54
00:01:04,298 --> 00:01:05,399
of exploratory drilling

55
00:01:05,465 --> 00:01:06,200
drilling secured them

56
00:01:06,266 --> 00:01:08,836
another $11 million in investors

57
00:01:08,902 --> 00:01:09,837
and the exploratory

58
00:01:09,903 --> 00:01:11,572
drilling will continue.

59
00:01:11,638 --> 00:01:12,306
For more on this

60
00:01:12,372 --> 00:01:13,006
and other issues

61
00:01:13,073 --> 00:01:15,075
go to pbswisconsin.org

62
00:01:15,142 --> 00:01:17,477
and click on the news tab.