The National Environmental Certification Service of Peru has now granted Toronto-headquartered Sierra Metals environmental approval for its Yauricocha tailings expansion project, reversing a previous rejection of the environmental impact assessment (EIA).
With an approved EIA study in hand, the dual listed miner will now proceed to obtain a construction permit for the next phase of the tailings deposition facility and will start planning for an expanded waste rock facility.
Once those steps have been completed, Sierra Metals will be able to complete a final submission of an ITS document, which is required for any potential expansion of the mine.
The company is planning an extension of its tailings dam, which will allow for a 20% expansion of Yauricocha’s mine output to 3 600 t/d.
In December, Peru rejected the EIA, although Sierra Metals has maintained that it had submitted all the required documentation.