TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – European miner EMED Mining on Monday said the Andalucian government had cleared all economic, technical and legal capacities for administrative recognition of the company's mineral rights for its Rio Tinto copper project, except for civil works on the tailings dam.
This meant the government was progressing the permits required to start site works, which included finalising administrative standing and the environmental plan, subject to receiving a preliminary report from the national civil works technical review agency Cedex supporting the proposed conditions to be applied to tailings management.
Despite this not being final approval, it seemed as if the company’s long permitting journey could be nearing its end.
Investigations for the report were completed during the first quarter and the report is due in May.
The report would focus on critical tailings issues such as the restriction of the existing dam to previously permitted heights, the future use of high density tailings to reduce water on the tailings deposit, the method of sealing the surface of tailings deposits at closure and the holding capacity to support production plans.
Environmental approval for the operation was also still pending.
EMED MD and CEO Harry Anagnostaras-Adams said the company maintained its targets to trigger works in the third quarter and production in the third quarter of 2014.
“It has taken a great effort to reassemble all the lands and infrastructure and to re-engineer the project so that it meets all regulatory requirements. Preparations of the project and its financing are progressing in parallel with permitting,” he said.