Czech Development Moves to Next Stage of Permitting Process
Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V/ASX: EMN) has announced the conclusion of a six-month screening of its preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted by the Czech Ministry of the Environment for the Company’s Chvaletice Manganese Project.
The Project is intended to recycle waste from a decommissioned mine in the Czech Republic to produce ultra-high-purity manganese products, principally for electric vehicle batteries.
Based on the official notification received from the Ministry, EMN can now move to the next stages of the permitting process for the Project. The company considers the conclusion of the screening procedure to be an important regulatory milestone, generating valuable stakeholder input that will be addressed in the final design and planning phases of the Project.
Key stakeholders were invited by the Ministry to respond to an EIA Notification & Project Description submitted by EMN in the summer of 2020. Input was received from various government bodies, public agencies and regional and local authorities, as well as community members. The main stakeholder concerns relate to the management of increased vehicle traffic and noise, potential impacts to air and water quality, and the preservation of sight lines to a nearby historic site.
“We are pleased with the outcome of this important step in the Chvaletice Manganese Project’s permitting process,” says Euro Manganese CEO, Marco Romero.
“We appreciate all the thoughtful input we have received from our stakeholders, and we are confident that we will be able to successfully address their concerns in our detailed plans.
“Following more than four years of environmental baseline and impact studies, process design and engineering, we purposely provided much more detailed information to the public and regulators about our Project than is normally required at this stage of the permitting process. I am grateful that we were provided with such useful feedback.”
Romero credits the Project team based in the Czech Republic for paying great attention to detail, and for actively engaging local authorities and community members early and frequently in the planning process. “The Ministry’s screening procedure was open to the public. The fact that only two submissions from individuals were received speaks volumes to the thoroughness and professionalism of our team’s consultations, the high standards we have applied to the Project design and to the willingness of local residents to positively engage with us.”
A definitive feasibility study for the Chvaletice Manganese Project is currently underway and targeted for completion by the end of 2021. Work on the Final Environmental Impact Assessment, which will address the stakeholder and regulatory agency inputs received, is scheduled to begin in mid-2021 and is also expected to be completed by the end of the year.
In the meantime, procurement and fabrication of the Project’s Demonstration Plant remains on schedule, with delivery to the Project site expected in July 2021. The Demonstration Plant will provide high purity manganese materials for supply chain qualification by EMN’s potential customers.
