Jan 7 2021
Emerita Resources Corp., a Spanish-based natural resource company, has hired FRASA Ingenieros Consultores, a highly renowned engineering firm with offices located in Spain and globally, to make the environmental documentation for the Iberia Belt West (IBW) Project to obtain the “Autorizacion Ambiental Unificada (AAU).”
Image Credit: Mark Agnor/shutterstock
FRASA are the Environmental Consultants engaged by the majority of the companies in the area for permitting and are well experienced with the requirements to get work permits. The AAU is the environmental license needed in the area for exploration activities.
The Project is situated inside the well-known Iberian pyrite belt, an area with various past-producing and active mining operations and functioning at present under the same well-established environmental statutes. The permit application and reclamation plan for the diamond drill program were finished by Emerita and presented to the Government on October 21st, 2020.
The report includes an extensive description of the suggested work program, the scheduled reclamation for the drill sites, as well as an environmental evaluation. Emerita has gained brilliant advice and support from the professionals within both the Mines and the Environmental Departments via this process.
The IBW Project spans the boundary between two adjacent municipalities with around 85% of the Project in the municipality of Puebla de Guzman and nearly 15% of the Project area inside Paymogo municipality.
Both the Infanta Deposit and El Cura mineralized zones are located within Puebla de Guzman and the Romanera Deposit is located on the border between the two municipalities. Mr Antonio Beltrán, the Mayor of Puebla de Guzman, has publicly reported this in a radio broadcast and print media last week: “In Puebla de Guzmán, we define ourselves historically as a mining municipality, which would have no problem hosting a mining operation.”
Spain hosts several classifications of land with regards to environmental sensitivity as it relates to development. The part of the Project that hosts the Infanta Deposit comes under the classification where there are no environmental limitations for growth.
Emerita has been offered a copy of a letter from the Environment Department to the Mines Department verifying this is the case, and hence, there is no need for an environmental study for this area of the Project pertaining to mineral exploration.
The Mines Department has the power to issue the permit without additional review by the Environment Department. To begin drilling, the regulations of the Mines Department require that the reclamation plan for the diamond drill program should be published for 30 days on the government web site for remarks. Drilling is considered to be a low influence activity and hardly there is any public objection to a program of this kind.
The El Cura area of the property comes under the next category of environmental classification concerning environmental safety to permit a drill program. The area inside the Paymogo municipality is one more step higher. Both areas will need the “Autorizacion Ambiental Unificada (AAU),” which is being finished with the support of FRASA, the Company’s environmental consultant, to be submitted on January 20th, 2021.
Depending on the talks with the government officials, the company anticipates that the reclamation plan for the Infanta area drilling program will be posted on the website within the following 1 to 2 weeks.
"While we would like to be drilling immediately, the Company will follow the regulatory process exactly. The Company has a policy of doing progressive reclamation during its exploration programs and will work to the highest levels of environmental stewardship and worker safety and will abide by the regulations completely."
Joaquin Merino, P.Geo, President of Emerita states
“We are confident that by using highly experienced and respected environmental consultants and engaging with the regulatory authorities that the plan for the drill program for Infanta will meet or exceed standards and the program should be approved soon. We have recently located our Spain office in Puebla de Guzman and are grateful for the encouragement and support for the Project that we have received from the officials there,” added Merino.