BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 2, 2023
A recent letter in the Bangor Daily News bemoaned Wolfden Resources’ efforts to establish a copper mine in Maine. Demand in the U.S. for copper is increasing due to the growing electrification of our economy. If we do not produce copper domestically, it must be imported. Large quantities of copper used in the U.S. are mined in poor countries, where water quality and environmental standards are far lower than here in Maine. I find it morally repugnant to take advantage of poor, defenseless people to sustain our metal demands when we have a domestic supply that can be extracted in a much more environmentally sound manner. Recycling is not the answer; the volumes needed are too great. Before someone else raises concerns about the threat of mining in Maine, let them answer the question: Where can we get copper in the volumes we use without despoiling someplace else? ~ Joseph T. Kelley, Orono