TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) has confirmed that it issued the mine operating permit for the Haile gold mine, rendering the $353-million project shovel ready, Canadian project promoter Romarco Minerals announced on Friday.

The permit was required to allow subsidiary Haile Gold Mine to conduct mining, milling and reclamation activities at the project site.

Under the permit, SCDHEC required certain controls for safety and environmental protection that included monitoring and reporting during operations.

Romarco was required to post a $30-million bond to the state as assurance for reclaiming and restoring the land when mining had ended. The permit also required further security of about $30-million over the life of the mine for a financial security commitment of $60-million.

“The mine operating permit is the final environmental permit required for the Haile project to start mining operations and we are extremely excited to have all necessary permits to break ground," president and CEO Diane Garrett said.

Unless there was a written request to the SCDHEC board to review the permit issuing, the permit would become effective on November 21.

Fort Mill, South Carolina-based Romarco earlier this week reported that it had secured a binding commitment letter with a consortium of financiers for a $200-million, 8.5-year senior-secured project finance facility, a week after obtaining a federal permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for the Haile project.

The mine operating permit represented the end of a rigorous environmental assessment process. Romarco had hoped to break ground on the Haile project at the end of 2011, at which time it was estimated to cost $275-million, but work was delayed after the US Army Corps of Engineers decided to request an environmental impact statement process, rather than the simpler environmental assessment, for which the company had hoped.

The Haile mine, in Lancaster County, had been operated off-and-on since 1827 and was part of a much larger gold district. To date, Romarco had delineated four-million ounces of measured and indicated mineral resource with a further 800 000 oz in the inferred mineral resource category.

The project was expected to create up to 270 jobs and the company said it hoped to start hiring before year-end, depending on market conditions.

Romarco's TSX-listed stock closed up 12.07% on Friday at C$0.65 apiece.