This is what a waste pit looks like when a mining company is allowed to dispose of its drilling waste
Jul
16
2025
The following information comes from Wisconsin Quality Assurance, a citizen watchdog group.
The picture in the plans looked a lot prettier than what is actually happening!!!
Real Life – a waste pit at the Soo Line 40 eight hole drilling project happening right now in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Green Light Metals struck the groundwater table when they excavated their waste pits – petroleum lubricants (never tested for PFAS content) and sulfuric acid drilling water are being discharged directly down into the groundwater.
Notice how shallow the waste pit is. GLM struck groundwater at just 4 feet deep. They had planned to excavate these waste pits a full 10 feet deep. The plans got revised when they intercepted the groundwater table. They wouldn’t risk digging down any deeper than 4 or 5 feet again.
Compare the GLM plans with what is in the picture. Read the entire explanation of what they plan to do with the wastes.
The Green Light Metals waste pit design that was approved by the Wisconsin DNR is here: https://dnr.wisconsin.
The DNR approved plans are found here (this will also be the location where the Green Light Metals plans for drilling at the headwaters of the Wolf River will be found): https://dnr.wisconsin.
Watch for the LOBO and LOBO East tabs to be added to the DNR website as soon as GLM drops them off at the DNR for approval. The deposits in the headwaters of the Wolf River are named “LOBO” and “LOBO East”. They don’t want to alarm the public and refer to the drilling sites as the “Wolf River sites”. Calling them “LOBO” disguises the location so no one will know where they are drilling next.
