PNX Metals Ltd (ASX:PNX) has taken another step along the approvals and permitting path for the Fountain Head Gold Project in the Northern Territory by lodging a second supplement to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority (NT EPA).
The company has completed a considerable amount of additional work in the first half of 2022 to prepare the second supplement, including engaging an independent expert to review and provide advice regarding the modelling approach, parameters used and interpretation.
MMP development process to restart
As a result, the Fountain Head Mining Management Plan (MMP) was put on hold while all available resources were fully committed to finalising the EIS Supplement. The MMP development process will now be restarted.
The EIS is an important component of the approval process and contains a comprehensive risk assessment, including studies on groundwater and surface water, biodiversity, Aboriginal and cultural heritage, socioeconomic impacts, transport, air quality, noise and closure/rehabilitation.
Detailed body of work
A detailed body of work was completed by the company and its environmental consultants, ERIAS Group, to identify potential project environmental impacts and risks and mitigate these through careful and considered management.
In early January 2022 PNX received a second direction from the NT EPA to provide new information, primarily related to the surface and groundwater modelling and potential for groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
The resulting independent expert’s report has been included as part of the suite of documents submitted in response to the second direction.
PNX is looking forward to receiving comments from the NT EPA and project environmental approval timeframes have been updated.
Team has “worked tirelessly”
PNX managing director James Fox said: “The PNX project team and our environmental consultants have worked tirelessly to provide the supplementary information requested by the NT EPA to support the Fountain Head Gold Project Environmental Impact Statement, in particular around groundwater modelling and potential for groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
"We look forward to receiving positive feedback from the NT EPA. Based on statutory guidelines, and assuming no further requests for information, the indicative timeframe for environmental approval is October 2022.”
MMP variation
The company has already received approval from the NT Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) for a variation to the MMP to allow dewatering of the Fountain Head Pit.
PNX is also updating project capital and operating costs with its engineering partner, Como Engineers, using a simplified flowsheet.
This is expected to partly offset inflationary costs being experienced during construction for projects globally and will be used to update the project financial model and for discussions with prospective financiers.