Critical Elements secures lithium project rehabilitation approval

The approval of the rehabilitation and restoration plan is a prerequisite to the granting of the mining lease that will be necessary to move forward with the project. The rehabilitation and restoration plan contains, in particular, the description of the rehabilitation and restoration work relating to the project, as well as a detailed estimate of the expected costs to be incurred for completing the work.

Now that the rehabilitation and restoration plan is approved, the corporation must furnish a guarantee covering the anticipated cost of completing the work required under the rehabilitation and restoration plan, in accordance with the schedule of payments established pursuant to applicable laws.

Jean-Sébastien Lavallée, CEO of Critical Elements, comments:

“We are very pleased with the decision regarding the rehabilitation and restoration plan for the Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project, which is a necessary step toward securing the mining lease.”

With the approval of the plan, the company is making progress in the overall approval process for the project. In August 2021, Critical Elements announced that the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change had rendered a favourable decision in respect of the proposed Rose project. In a Decision Statement, which included the conditions to be complied with by the company, the Minister confirmed that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects when mitigation measures are taken into account.

The final remaining step in the project’s approval is the completion of the provincial permitting process, which runs parallel to the federal process. Pursuant to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA), the provincial environmental assessment is conducted jointly by the Cree Nation Government and the Government of Quebec under the Environmental and Social Impact Review Committee (COMEX). The provincial assessment is well advanced and has undergone several rounds of questions from COMEX that have been answered by Critical Elements in the normal course of the assessment process. At this time, Critical Elements has received no further questions from COMEX and remains confident in a positive outcome.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/17052022/critical-elements-secures-lithium-project-rehabilitation-approval/