Generation Mining files Environmental Impact Statement

Generation Mining Limited has submitted the Environmental Impact Statement Addendum for the Marathon Palladium Copper Project. 

The EIS provides an outline and analysis of key elements of the Project design, the environmental, economic and social components along with the mitigation, controls and benefits that will be present over the life-cycle of the Project from construction to final closure. The Project is being assessed in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA, 2012) and Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act through a Joint Review Panel (“JRP” or “Panel”). The JRP is a single Environmental Assessment (“EA”) process that is harmonized with the Federal and Ontario provincial governments.

The Company submitted the EIS Addendum in two parts with the initial volume issued on January 7, 2021, and the final volume on April 16, 2021. The submission of the EIS along with the recently published Feasibility Study (see news releases on 3 March 2021 and 25 March 2021) will officially start the regulatory clock of the JRP. The JRP process allows for 271 days for the Panel to review the EIS, collect public comments and hold public hearings following which the Panel will submit its EA report with recommendations to the federal and provincial Ministers of Environment for their final decision. In this process, the federal government agency (“Impact Assessment Agency of Canada“ or “IAAC”) will recover applicable expenses relating to the JPR process.

“With the release of our Feasibility Study earlier in March this year and fulsome EIS document, the full value of our advanced Palladium Copper Project outside the Town of Marathon, Ontario is one step closer to being realized,” said Jamie Levy, Chief Executive Officer of Gen Mining. “This Project will add overall benefit to the communities in Northwestern Ontario with employment and training and will help the regional economic recovery following the pandemic.”

The Panel is inviting public comment for a period until June 27, 2021. This phase of the process is to give members of the public, Indigenous groups, governments and other participants an opportunity to submit their views of the EIS Addendum.  The Company encourages stakeholders to participate by reviewing and providing comments to support the JRP process. Access to the EIS documents is available on the Company’s website with comments for the Panel to be posted at the IAAC site: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/54755

The Province of Ontario through its Critical Minerals Strategy (March 10, 2021) and Natural Resource Canada’s Critical Minerals List (March 29, 2021) adopted by the federal government, includes three of the top metals (palladium, copper, and platinum) being produced in the Project.  

Mr. Levy further notes, “with the Federal and Provincial governments recognizing the strategic importance of the metals being produced in the Project, we have a unique opportunity to develop a project that will contribute to Canada’s effort to lower greenhouse gases.”

The EIS Addendum, along with supporting technical reports and fieldwork, was prepared by a specialized team of experts that will support Gen Mining throughout the EA process including Stantec, a global engineering consulting firm which will lead the EA process; Knight-Piésold, to lead the tailing facility designs; EcoMetrix, to undertake geochemistry, aquatics, water quality modelling; and Northern BioScience to progress the monitoring of species at risk and terrestrial studies on the property.

About the Company

Gen Mining’s focus is the development of the Marathon Project, the largest undeveloped platinum group metal Mineral Resource in North America. The Company released the results of the Feasibility Study on March 3, 2021 and published the NI 43-101 Technical Report dated March 23, 2021. The Marathon property covers a land package of approximately 22,000 hectares, or 220 square kilometres. Gen Mining owns an 80.7% interest in the Marathon Project, with the remaining interest owned by Sibanye Stillwater. Sibanye Stillwater has certain back-in rights that allow it to increase its interest in the Marathon Project back up to 51% in certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions after such time as Gen Mining has earned its 80% interest (see the Company’s news release of July 11, 2019 for more details).

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