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Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources – Semarnat approved Minera Alamos’ (TSXV: MAI) environmental impact statement for its La Fortuna gold project in the northwestern Durango state.
According to Minera Alamos, this approval means that the company now has all the key federal approvals necessary for the construction of a commercial-scale mine and associated processing facilities on the property.
In a press release, the Canadian miner explained that the permit covers 217 hectares approved for mining use, which includes the required areas for development of the Fortuna Main Zone gold deposit and the related gold extraction and recovery facilities, as well as critical site supporting infrastructure.
The EIS is expected to remain in good standing for a period of 52 years
“The scope of the operating permit includes the initial open-pit mine, waste dump areas, crushing, grinding and flotation facilities and all related infrastructure,” the brief states. “Allowances were made to include additional stages not required for the current start-up plan (i.e. concentrate cyanidation and detoxification) to provide the company with added flexibility in the future.”
Minera Alamos said that the EIS is expected to remain in good standing for a period of 52 years which covers the potential construction, operations, and closure stages for the project.
The validity period, however, depends on the miner complying with a series of standard conditions from the Semarnat that are included to protect and monitor the environment and must be implemented by the company in order to satisfy the permit requirements.
The 6,200-hectares La Fortuna project consists of four mining concessions and was acquired by Minera Alamos in May 2016 from Argonaut Gold.
