TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed Augusta Resources has received the air quality permit for its Rosemont copper project from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
The company said the permit, which stipulates the operating, monitoring and reporting parameters that Rosemont must comply with to meet all federal, state and local air quality requirements, represented the seventh critical permit required to start construction.
Only one more permit remained to be obtained, which is the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the US Army Corp of Engineers, which the company expects to receive upon the issuance of the record of decision on the plan of operations from the US Forest Service.
"Having received one of the last permits remaining represents a major achievement for the Rosemont Copper project as we near the end of the permitting process and prepare for construction this year. This success demonstrates our commitment to set high standards for environmental protection by operating with enhanced emission controls that go beyond regulatory requirements,” CEO Gil Clausen said.
The project is expected to produce 221-million pounds of copper a year, which could account for as much as 10% of US copper output. In addition to copper, Rosemont is expected to produce significant amounts of silver and molybdenum over its 21-year mine life.
The project is scheduled to come into production in 2014.
The company’s TSX-listed share price reacted positively to the granting of the permit on Thursday, and rose by 9.88% to trade at C$2.67 apiece.