EXPLORATION ’95 — Draft EIS released for Carlota mine

A wholly owned subsidiary of Cambior (TSE), Carlota Copper, reports that the U.S. Forestry Service has released the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for its Carlota copper mine, along with a proposed timetable for public comment.

The property is 6 miles west of Miami, in the active Globe-Miami mining district. As a conventional open-pit mine, it will employ heap leaching and solvent extraction-electrowinning.

The mine is expected to employ up to 300 workers, and will produce copper for 16 years.

The EIS, which has been developed over the past three years, addresses the potential impacts of the mine on the environment. The comment period will run through April 3.

Resident Mine Manager Robert Walish describes the publishing of the document and the scheduling of the comment period as “significant steps” in helping Carlota reach its goal of getting mine construction under way later this year. Proven and probable reserves for the Carlota project stand at 97 million tonnes grading 0.44% copper.

Commercial production from this open-pit operation is planned at a rate of 27,000 tonnes of copper per year for the first 10 years of operation. Production costs are estimated at US58 cents per lb. of copper. The capital cost of project development and construction is estimated at US$80 million.