Clean Air Metals Provides a Corporate Update Including Payment of $1.5 million to Panoramic Resources and Commencement of Environmental Baseline Data Collection

THUNDER BAY, ON, May 11, 2021 /CNW/ - Clean Air Metals Inc. ("Clean Air Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV: AIR) (OTCQB: CLRMF) (FRA: CKU) is pleased to announce completion of a C$1.5 million installment payment to Panoramic Resources Limited (PAN: ASX) of Australia.

 

The Company acquired a 100% interest in the Current Lake Pt-Pd-Rh-Cu-Ni magma conduit deposit from Panoramic Resources for C$9 million, with a $4.5 million down payment under a security interest on May 14, 2020 as previously reported. The transaction included the sale of a 100% interest in Canadian subsidiary Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd. directly to Clean Air Metals under the option with Benton Resources Inc. (BEX: TSXV). Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd., now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clean Air Metals, in turn owns 100% of the Current Lake deposit. Two equal payments totaling C$3 million remain for May, 2022 and May, 2023. The security obligation may be retired in advance by payment in full at any time without penalty.

 

In keeping with its commitment to environmental sustainability as it continues with a previously announced 45,000m diamond drilling campaign, the Company has also commenced environmental baseline field data gathering in support of a future environmental impact assessment and permitting of the Thunder Bay North Project. The Company's service providers DST, a Division of Englobe Corp. and NorthWinds Environmental are mandated to systematically gather and report on baseline data for hydrology (surface waters), hydrogeology (subsurface water table), noise, water quality, aquatic biology, wildlife biology, weather patterns and potential for metals leaching and acid rock drainage (ARD).

 

In addition, Woodlands Heritage Northwest will also complete and report on Stage 1 and Stage 2 archaeology studies in the area of the Escape Lake, Current Lake and Steepledge Lake Basins. All work, particularly the archaeology program, is being completed in cooperation with and under the supervision of the Participating First Nation communities, a collaboration announced January 11, 2021.

 

Metallurgical beneficiation and optimization studies of drill-derived bulk sample deposit material is ongoing at Blue Coast Research of British Columbia, Canada, as previously announced. The potential of the Thunder Bay North Project magma conduit deposit system is well illustrated by publication of the ramp access, high grade selective underground mine model-constrained mineral resource, reported on January 20, 2021.

 

The Current Lake Deposit has an Indicated mineral resource of 1,328,789 oz PdEq at an average grade of 3.44 g/t PdEq in 11,999,177 tonnes. The Escape Lake Deposit in turn has an overall Indicated mineral resource of 505,369 ounces PdEq at 3.67g/t PdEq in 4,286,220 tonnes and is geologically open along trend (pursuant to the January 20, 2021 NI 43-101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimate for the Thunder Bay North Project, Thunder Bay, Ontario, prepared by Nordmin Engineering Ltd. and QP Glen Kuntz, P.Geo, as posted to SEDAR on March 4, 2021).

 

Clean Air Metals' CEO Abraham Drost, P.Geo. stated that "as the commitment to long term environmental baseline data collection demonstrates, the Company is committed to operating by the highest standards of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Clean Air Metals is a leader among its peers in the junior mining exploration and development space. This starts from the ground up with staff field health and safety protocols. The Company's comprehensive COVID avoidance policy has been in place since February, 2020 with zero incidence of infection among staff and service providers. Field staff and management have completed Indigenous cultural sensitivity training and review of the PDAC e3 Plus exploration best practices guidelines.

 

From a Social factor perspective, Clean Air Metals has achieved excellent progress in accommodation with its proximate, directly affected First Nation Partners through the Memorandum of Agreement reported January 11, 2020, establishing a project partnership going forward. The Company is focused on maximizing related indigenous and gender equity employment opportunities both on staff and through third party service providers.

 

The Company's Environmental and Social factor performance are borne of a strong policy and Governance factor mandate that is driven by the Company's Board of Directors. The Company has published various Corporate Governance policies to its website at https://www.cleanairmetals.ca/corporate/corporate-governance/ including the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Sustainability Policy, Ethical Workplace and Reporting Policy and Procedure and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy."

 

About Clean Air Metals Inc.

 

Clean Air Metals' flagship asset is the Thunder Bay North Project, a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project located near the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario and the Lac des Iles Mine owned by Impala Platinum Holdings. The Clean Air Metals project hosts the Current Lake Deposit and magma conduit and the Company is actively exploring the Escape Lake Deposit, a twin conduit structure to the Current Lake Deposit. Executive Chairman Jim Gallagher, P.Eng. and CEO Abraham Drost, P.Geo. lead an experienced team of geologists and engineers who are using the Norilsk magma conduit stratigraphic and mineral deposit model to guide ongoing exploration and development studies. As the former CEO of North American Palladium Ltd. which owned the Lac des Iles Mine prior to the sale to Impala Platinum in December, 2019, Jim Gallagher and team are credited with the mine turnaround and creation of significant value for shareholders.