BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 29, 2022
Voters in Pembroke could ban large-scale metal mines next month in an attempt to halt a Canadian company’s exploration of a silver mining operation in the small Washington County town. Concerned over the harm a mine could do to the area’s water quality, the Friends of Cobscook Bay collected signatures for a citizen’s initiative to ban industrial metallic mineral mines. Pembroke, which relies on groundwater and an aquifer for its drinking water, is also heavily dependent on its wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams and rivers for recreation and jobs. Other towns in Maine have enacted local regulations restricting mining activities, including Cherryfield, Harrington, Hancock, Lamoine, Bridgton and Tremont. There are currently no licensed metallic mineral mining sites in Maine. Wolfden Resources has submitted work plans for drilling and surveys in Pembroke and doesn’t need a permit from the Maine DEP as long test pits and trenches were kept to a certain size.