PNX Metals Ltd (ASX:PNX) (FRA:4P1) has lodged the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Fountain Head Gold Project with the Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority (NT EPA).
The EIS is an important milestone in the project approval process and contains a comprehensive risk assessment, and studies on groundwater and surface water, biodiversity, Aboriginal and cultural heritage, socioeconomic impacts, transport, air quality, noise, and closure/rehabilitation.
It will be available for public comment for a period of eight weeks and can be accessed at www.pnxmetals.com.au from on or around 9 June 2021.
“Accelerating project development”
The assessment and approval process will continue over the next few months with regulatory approval for the Project targeted for the second half of 2021.
PNX managing director James Fox said: “The lodgement of the Fountain Head Gold Project EIS is an important milestone in the development of the Project, and the culmination of a significant body of work to identify potential Project environmental impacts and to mitigate these through careful and considered management.
“The Project feasibility study, which is assessing the technical and economic parameters relating to the sequential development of the Fountain Head Gold and Hayes Creek gold-silver-zinc Project is also nearing completion.
“We look forward to finalising this study and continuing to accelerate the Project development with first gold production targeted during 2022.”
Looking forward
Approval has already been received from the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) for a variation to the company’s Mine Management Plan (MMP) to allow dewatering of the Fountain Head Pit.
The company is also in the process of finalising an assessment of the technical and economic parameters relating to the sequential development of the Fountain Head Gold Project and Hayes Creek Gold-Silver-Zinc Project.