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So many of us live in Wisconsin’s Northwoods or Michigan’s Upper Peninsula because we love what surrounds us every day. We love the clear water, the clean air, and the lush forests. WXPR’s environmental reporting as part of our expanded series, The Stream, focuses on the natural world around us. The Stream is now about more than just water: it brings you stories of efforts to conserve our wild lands and lakes, scientific studies of animal and plant life, and potential threats to our environment. Hear The Stream on Thursdays on WXPR and access episodes any time online.

Exploratory Drilling Now Complete In Oneida County

Dan Dumas/Kim Swisher Communications

Drilling on the last exploration site in eastern Oneida County was completed on Wednesday.

Badger Minerals had been overseeing the drilling program, which sought to gather data about potential sulfide minerals hundreds of feet under the earth.

Drilling started on June 5.

Drill cores will be taken offsite and reviewed by geologists, and some will be submitted for lab analysis.

It was the first mining-related drilling program in Wisconsin in eight years, and the first in Oneida County since at least the 1980s.

Badger Minerals is now in charge of abandoning the drill holes and reclaiming the land.

There’s no indication yet on if the company might take further mining-related steps.

The drilling project has drawn some criticism, in large part due to its proximity to the Wolf River.

Ben worked as the Special Topics Correspondent at WXPR from September 2019 until November 2021. He now contributes occasionally to WXPR. During his full-time employment, his main focus was reporting on environment and natural resources issues in northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula as part of The Stream, a weekly series.
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