TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canadian project developer Romarco Minerals on Monday reported that the US Army Corps of Engineers had issued its record of decision (ROD) and granted a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for the company's Haile gold mine project, in South Carolina, marking the end of the environmental impact statement (EIS) process.

As the Corps does not have an administrative appeal process available for permit opponents after issuing the ROD, the permit was complete and final, and was immediately effective.

The 404 permit was the only federal environmental permit required for the Haile project.

“We are exceedingly proud of the Haile project, which has satisfied all the applicable federal environmental processes with the culmination of comprehensive environmental and technical studies and analyses,” Romarco president and CEO Diane Garrett said.

Last year, Romarco received four state permits – a national pollutant discharge elimination system permit, an air quality permit, a dam safety permit and a stormwater construction permit. The state had earlier this month approved its water quality certification, recommending that the Corps grant Romarco the same certification at federal level.

The company was now awaiting the state mine operating permit.

Romarco had hoped to break ground on the $275-million Haile project at the end of 2011, but work was delayed after the Corps decided to request an EIS process, rather than the simpler environmental assessment the company was hoping for. Over the past four years, the company had spent more than $4.5-million on environmental studies.

The Haile gold mine had measured and indicated gold resources of 71.2-million tonnes, grading at 1.77 g/t of gold, as well as an inferred gold resource of 20.1-million tonnes, grading at 1.24 g/t of gold. Proven and probable gold reserves were estimated at 30.5-million tonnes, grading at 2.06 g/t.