EXPLORATION ROUNDUP — Crown Jewel gets permits

The Washington State Department of Ecology has issued water permits to the Crown Jewel gold project, bringing it one step closer to production.

The Department of Ecology granted the permits following a review of hydrogeological data for the proposed open-pit operation in northern Okanogan Cty. Crown Jewel is a joint venture between Battle Mountain Gold (BMG-N) and Crown Resources (CRO-T).

“The state and the public have given this project more intensive scrutiny than any mining project ever proposed in this state,” says Thomas Fitzsimmons, the department’s director. Construction could begin as early as mid-1998, pending resolution of a lawsuit launched by environmental groups.