VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- THEMAC Resources Group Limited (TSX VENTURE:MAC) ("THEMAC" or the "Company"), through its wholly-owned subsidiary New Mexico Copper Corporation (NMCC), is currently engaged in securing two important state operating permits: a Groundwater Discharge Permit (focused on groundwater protection) from the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED); and a New Mine Permit to regulate mine operation and reclamation from the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division (NMMMD).
The Company submitted an application for a Groundwater Discharge Permit to NMED in October 2015. After two years of review, NMED published a proposed Discharge Permit for the Copper Flat Mine in February 2018. NMED has invited public review and comment on the draft Discharge Permit and the Agency has scheduled a hearing on the proposed Discharge Permit for the week of September 24 in Truth or Consequences, NM.
The Company has also applied to NMMMD for a mining permit under the State New Mine Regulations. This process, which started in 2012, includes an agency approved sampling and analysis plan, collecting and reporting base line data, and a detailed description of the mine operation and reclamation plan. NMMMD has reviewed Company submittals, and the Agency has prepared a Draft Environmental Evaluation of the mine and reclamation plan. In a letter dated July 13, 2018, NMMMD gave notice to the Company that the Copper Flat Mine Permit Application Package is technically approvable. The Agency is now collecting public comments on the plan and has scheduled a public hearing on the Mine in Sierra County during the dates of October 23 - 26, 2018.
The Copper Flat Mine Plan is also being evaluated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) through the development of a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliant Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The BLM released the Draft EIS on the Copper Flat Copper Mine Project in November 2015, hosted two public meetings, and allowed 120 days for public comment on the Draft EIS. In early 2018, following receipt of comments and follow up by the BLM, the Agency indicated its intention to move forward to a Final EIS with the following statement posted on the Agency webpage for the Copper Flat EIS: “The timeline for the Final EIS is tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2018, but is subject to the review and approval of the Biological Assessment by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” BLM is consulting with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the development of the Biological Assessment as noted on their website.
THEMAC CEO Andrew Maloney notes, “Our progress with permitting is noteworthy. We have passed several important milestones on the way to bringing the Copper Flat Mine to production and we are gaining momentum. We have developed responsible plans for mining and reclamation at Copper Flat and we are confident that we are on the right path to permitting the Mine.”
About THEMAC Resources Group Limited
THEMAC is a copper development company with a strong management team and as of May 18, 2011, a 100% ownership interest in the Copper Flat copper-molybdenum-gold-silver project in New Mexico, USA. We are continuing to advance the closed copper mine, Copper Flat, in Sierra County, New Mexico, toward production with innovation and a sustainable approach to mining development and production, local economic opportunities, and the best reclamation practices for our unique environment. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (ticker: MAC) and has issued share capital of 79,400,122 common shares (fully diluted share capital 93,425,316).
For more information please visit www.themacresourcesgroup.com or review the Company’s filings on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
For further information contact:
THEMAC Resources Group Limited
Andrew Maloney
Chief Executive Officer
Phone: +1 505.382.5770
www.themacresourcesgroup.com