43-101 2008 Technical Report On The La Fortuna Project, Durango ...
43-101 2008 Technical Report On The La Fortuna Project, Durango ...
43-101 2008 Technical Report On The La Fortuna Project, Durango ...
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15.0 OTHER RELEVANT DATA AND INFORMATION<br />
15.1 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS<br />
Howe is not aware of any historic environmental permitting for the project area other that that required for<br />
Battle Mountain to receive permits for their drilling program. This environmental permit required Battle<br />
Mountain to submit for approval a reclamation plan relating to rehabilitation of drill pads and temporary<br />
drill roads.<br />
<strong>The</strong> environmental permitting process for a mining project follows a similar format in that the mining<br />
company must submit for approval to the appropriate government agencies an environmental impact<br />
statement and a detailed plan for environmental monitoring and protection of the environment during<br />
operations plus a plan for closure and reclamation of the proposed project site. <strong>The</strong> government agencies<br />
respond to the company with comments and amendments, which the company must then incorporate into<br />
their environmental statement.<br />
<strong>The</strong> final approved document, including the approved closure and rehabilitation plan, when signed off by<br />
the government agencies becomes the binding legal document relating to the project.<br />
15.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING<br />
Castle Gold currently holds two permits:<br />
• a “Resolution on Environmental Impact” (or “Manifest on Environmental Impact”), and;<br />
• a “Change of <strong>La</strong>nd Use”<br />
15.2.1 Resolution on Environmental Impact<br />
• Under the Company’s current Resolution on Environmental Impact, Castle Gold has the right to<br />
carry out all work and activities related to the development, operation, maintenance and<br />
reclamation of the El Castillo <strong>Project</strong> over a total area of 108 Ha.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> Resolution allows for a 24 month period to complete any necessary preparatory and<br />
construction work, and 10 years for operations and maintenance. <strong>The</strong> permit can be renewed as<br />
long as the company fulfills all the necessary requirements under Mexican law.<br />
• Under the current Resolution, Castle Gold is permitted to construct an open pit to a depth of<br />
maximum depth of 70 m (or ten 6 m benches) and an initial area of 25 Ha and a 8,000 ton per<br />
month production rate. <strong>The</strong> area may be increased by 5 Ha per year to a maximum of 54.5 Ha.<br />
• Under the Resolution, the leach pad may have a capacity of 10 million tons across an area of 33<br />
Ha. This area may be increased by 8 Ha per year.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> two planned waste dump areas will be approximately 14 Ha (6.6 million tons) and 2.74 Ha<br />
(1.23 million tons) in area.<br />
Any changes to the operations approved under the current Resolution will require further approval of the<br />
Sectretaría de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), the Secretary of the Environment and<br />
Natural Resources. An environmental impact assessment for any proposed changes must be submitted to<br />
SEMARNAT for evaluation and approval before an amended Resolution on Environmental Impact is<br />
issued and the proposed changes allowed to proceed.<br />
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