The Government of Ecuador enacted new environmental regulation involving a formal consultation process required for all activities across requiring environmental licenses.
As a result of Thursday’s announcement, copper and gold explorers Adventus Mining Corporation (TSXV: ADZN) (OTCQX: ADVZF) and Salazar Resources Limited (TSXV: SRL) (OTCQX: SRLZF) will be able to push its El Domo – Curipamba Project to the next step of the environmental licensing process.
The regulation dictates the process for all Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), which will include two rounds of formal community consultations overseen by the Ecuadorian government.
These consultations are predicted to resemble the numerous community consultations that both companies have been leading since the El Domo deposit was discovered in 2008.
According to current instructions from the Ecuadorian government, the consultation process is likely to take between four to six months, culminating in the granting of the environmental license for El Domo construction.
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Additional permits required for construction
This timeline indicates that full-scale construction could potentially commence as early as October 2023.
Throughout this period, Adventus and Salazar plan to obtain four additional necessary permits to initiate construction.
These include a Water No Affect Permit, which focuses on managing discharge and mitigating potential impacts to water sources, and a Water Usage Permit, to authorize the use of surface water throughout the construction phase. Companies will also need to acquire a Tailings Dam and Waste Storage Approval Permit, confirming their ability to safely manage waste and tailings during the operation. Lastly, the Explosives Permit is crucial for any potential blasting activities that may be required during the construction process.
As of early 2023, the company’s report that process of securing these permits is going well, thanks to active engagement from the government. This progress comes after the publication of the El Domo feasibility study and the submission of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report in December 2021.
Other companies operating in Latin America include Lundin Gold Inc. (TSX: LUG) (Nasdaq Stockholm: LUG) (OTCQX: LUGDF), which operates the Fruta del Norte gold mine in Ecuador. Lundin Gold specifically has aimed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 by offsetting its greenhouse gas emissions at the Fruta del Norte mine.
Additionally, earlier this year, Calibre Mining (TSX: CXB) (OTCQX: CXBMF) released a short documentary showcasing the company’s sustainability initiatives in Nicaragua and its community involvement.
The film covers topics such as the importance of bees, biodiversity, health in local communities and the restoration of fresh water sources.
In particular, it highlights the company’s involvement with the Centre for an Understanding with Nature (CEN), an environmental organization that has been involved in rural and Indigenous communities in Nicaragua and Latin America for over three decades addressing ecological issues.
Calibre Mining is a sponsor of Mugglehead news coverage
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