Galantas Gold Corporation is pleased to announce that the Minister of Environment, Northern Ireland, Mr. Mark H. Durkan, has granted planning consent for an underground gold mine at the Omagh site. The planning consent will permit the continuation and expansion of gold mining and is expected to create hundreds of jobs locally.
The positive decision is the result of 3 years of examination of environmental and other factors regarding the application. Included were environmental studies by NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) and independent specialists. The consent includes operating and environmental conditions, which the Company anticipates mostly to be based upon guidance already noted in consultation. A detailed review of the conditions is being undertaken by Galantas.
Roland Phelps, President & CEO, Galantas Gold Corporation, commented, "This is a significant milestone and a game changer for Galantas. Our open pit gold mine, operated until recently, is the only one in Ireland. It had excellent environmental standards, monitored with detailed studies by NIEA and used a safe processing methodology to produce a smelter concentrate.
The underground mine will utilize the same processing methods and will be the first underground gold mine, of any scale, in Ireland. The robust results of the recent economic study, now with the positive planning determination, lead us to be confident about the establishment of a sound business based on the Omagh gold property. That business will draw upon the excellent engineering infrastructure and skilled, flexible labour pool around Omagh and create hundreds of local jobs, providing a real boost to the economy of Northern Ireland.
Our strategy is to establish the underground mine as soon as finance is available and look for further expansion of gold resources on the property, which has many un-drilled targets."
Source: http://www.galantas.com/