Panel report on Taseko’s New Prosperity project expected this week

The Panel is not a decision making authority. The Panel Report is information for the Minister and it will be considered along with other information upon which the Federal Government will base its decision.

Federal Environmental Assessments are a design level planning tool focused on identifying potential adverse environmental effects that are within federal jurisdiction. The guidelines used to determine whether an adverse effect is likely, as prescribed in law under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act of 2012, are as follows:

Step 1 – is the environmental effect adverse?

Step 2 – is the adverse environmental effect significant based on the application of the following five criteria?;

              (i)    magnitude;

              (ii)   geographic extent;

              (iii)  duration and frequency;

              (iv)   degree to which the effect is reversible or not; and

              (v)    ecological context

Step 3 – is a significant adverse effect “likely”?
Based on the project that Taseko has proposed and a fair and consistent application of the criteria under CEAA 2012, Taseko expects the Panel report to conclude there are no significant adverse environmental effects resulting from this project. Only the Minister of the Environment can determine whether the project is likely to cause adverse environmental effects, taking into account mitigation measures that are identified during the environmental assessment. If the Minister makes that determination, the Federal Cabinet will then decide whether these effects are justified in the circumstances, similar to the decision the Province made in its Environmental Review of Prosperity 2 ½ years ago. A decision statement from the Federal Government is expected to be issued within 120 days from the date of the report’s submission to the Minister.

Russell Hallbauer
President and CEO

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved of the information contained in this news release.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document contains “forward-looking statements” that were based on Taseko’s expectations, estimates and projections as of the dates as of which those statements were made. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “outlook”, “anticipate”, “project”, “target”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “should” and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These included but are not limited to:

        --  uncertainties and costs related to the Company's exploration
            and development activities, such as those associated with
            continuity of mineralization or determining whether mineral
            resources or reserves exist on a property;
        --  uncertainties related to the accuracy of our estimates of
            mineral reserves, mineral resources, production rates and
            timing of production, future production and future cash and
            total costs of production and milling;
        --  uncertainties related to feasibility studies that provide
            estimates of expected or anticipated costs, expenditures and
            economic returns from a mining project;
        --  uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary
            licenses permits for development projects and project delays
            due to third party opposition;
        --  uncertainties related to unexpected judicial or regulatory
            proceedings;
        --  changes in, and the effects of, the laws, regulations and
            government policies affecting our exploration and development
            activities and mining operations, particularly laws,
            regulations and policies;
        --  changes in general economic conditions, the financial markets
            and in the demand and market price for copper, gold and other
            minerals and commodities, such as diesel fuel, steel, concrete,
            electricity and other forms of energy, mining equipment, and
            fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with respect to
            the value of the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar, and the
            continued availability of capital and financing;
        --  the effects of forward selling instruments to protect against
            fluctuations in copper prices and exchange rate movements and
            the risks of counterparty defaults, and mark to market risk;
        --  the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain
            insurance to cover mining risks;
        --  the risk of loss of key employees; the risk of changes in
            accounting policies and methods we use to report our financial
            condition, including uncertainties associated with critical
            accounting assumptions and estimates;
        --  environmental issues and liabilities associated with mining
            including processing and stock piling ore; and
        --  labour strikes, work stoppages, or other interruptions to, or
            difficulties in, the employment of labour in markets in which
            we operate mines, or environmental hazards, industrial
            accidents or other events or occurrences, including third party
            interference that interrupt the production of minerals in our
            mines.

For further information on Taseko, investors should review the Company’s annual Form 40-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission www.sec.gov and home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Taseko Mines Limited