The Maine Geological Survey says a recently-completed mineral mapping project in Aroostook County will help guide local land use decisions.
In a three-year, federally-funded study, state geologists teamed up with researchers and students and the University of Maine at Presque Isle to map deposits of manganese, a critical mineral essential for the production of steel and batteries that is currently entirely imported.
Maine Geological Survey senior geologist Amber Whittaker said it's now up to policymakers, municipalities, and landowners to decide what to do with the data.
"They now have better information of what is beneath their feet, and they can make better informed decisions," she said.
She said the project created much more detailed bedrock maps that could be used for a variety of purposes.
"Anyone that wants to drill a well, they like to know what bedrock is under their feet," she said. "If you're blasting for a bridge or for road building, you need to know what's under there or what rock types are around."
Northern Maine his home to one of the largest manganese deposits in the country, according to the state geological survey, but Whittaker said any decisions around mining would be up to towns, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Whittaker said this study is part of a national push to understand domestic deposits of critical minerals, and that the U.S. Geological Survey will conduct additional mapping surveys next year over a broader portion of the state.
