43-101 2008 Technical Report On The La Fortuna Project, Durango ...

15.0 OTHER RELEVANT DATA AND INFORMATION
15.1 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Howe is not aware of any historic environmental permitting for the project area other that that required for
Battle Mountain to receive permits for their drilling program. This environmental permit required Battle
Mountain to submit for approval a reclamation plan relating to rehabilitation of drill pads and temporary
drill roads.
The environmental permitting process for a mining project follows a similar format in that the mining
company must submit for approval to the appropriate government agencies an environmental impact
statement and a detailed plan for environmental monitoring and protection of the environment during
operations plus a plan for closure and reclamation of the proposed project site. The government agencies
respond to the company with comments and amendments, which the company must then incorporate into
their environmental statement.
The final approved document, including the approved closure and rehabilitation plan, when signed off by
the government agencies becomes the binding legal document relating to the project.
15.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING
Castle Gold currently holds two permits:
• a “Resolution on Environmental Impact” (or “Manifest on Environmental Impact”), and;
• a “Change of Land Use”
15.2.1 Resolution on Environmental Impact
• Under the Company’s current Resolution on Environmental Impact, Castle Gold has the right to
carry out all work and activities related to the development, operation, maintenance and
reclamation of the El Castillo Project over a total area of 108 Ha.
• The Resolution allows for a 24 month period to complete any necessary preparatory and
construction work, and 10 years for operations and maintenance. The permit can be renewed as
long as the company fulfills all the necessary requirements under Mexican law.
• Under the current Resolution, Castle Gold is permitted to construct an open pit to a depth of
maximum depth of 70 m (or ten 6 m benches) and an initial area of 25 Ha and a 8,000 ton per
month production rate. The area may be increased by 5 Ha per year to a maximum of 54.5 Ha.
• Under the Resolution, the leach pad may have a capacity of 10 million tons across an area of 33
Ha. This area may be increased by 8 Ha per year.
• The two planned waste dump areas will be approximately 14 Ha (6.6 million tons) and 2.74 Ha
(1.23 million tons) in area.
Any changes to the operations approved under the current Resolution will require further approval of the
Sectretaría de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), the Secretary of the Environment and
Natural Resources. An environmental impact assessment for any proposed changes must be submitted to
SEMARNAT for evaluation and approval before an amended Resolution on Environmental Impact is
issued and the proposed changes allowed to proceed.
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