NYSE- and TSX-V-listed Osisko Development has signed two landmark permitting agreements – the Process Charter and the Joint Information Request Table (IRT) – for the Cariboo project, in central British Columbia (BC).
The agreements establish clear timelines for review and referral of Cariboo's permit applications, as well as set out a defined framework for information requests, explains Osisko chairperson and CEO Sean Roosen.
“They provide the company with predictability and key mechanisms to successfully navigate the regulatory permitting process.”
The Process Charter, signed with the BC Major Mines Office (MMO), establishes a workplan for cooperation between the company, the MMO, the Ministry of Energy, the Mines and Low-Carbon Innovation (EMLI) and the Ministry of Environment (ENV) and commits all parties to a defined regulatory permitting process timeline as it relates to the project.
The target timelines established by the Process Charter, which are contingent on the issuance of the environmental assessment certificate anticipated in third quarter, contemplate a final application referral date that is aligned with the company's anticipated receipt of environmental permits in the first quarter of next year.
The JIT, signed with the EMLI and the ENV, outlines and serves as a single list of all agreed upon information requirements to support the project's Mines Act and the Environmental Management Act permit applications, issued by EMLI and ENV, respectively. The IRT for Cariboo assists all parties in developing a robust permit application for submission, and may result in additional information requests, subject to the application review process.
“We truly believe that the mining industry and the Lhtako Dené Nation can work together as a team and continue to make our relationship stronger than yesterday. We are encouraged by Osisko Development’s commitment to building a sustainable and environmentally innovative operation and look forward to continuing working together. The project will not only provide the Nation and local communities with long-term employment, support and opportunity, but will also bring our Nation and local communities together,” said Lhtako Dené Nation in a statement, distributed by Osisko.
The company has also executed several project electrification initiatives in partnership with BC Hydro's CleanBC Industry Fund and the CleanBC Facilities Electrification Fund, which are key steps in supporting the company's efforts in reducing the carbon footprint of the project.