TORONTO — Toronto-based miner Romarco Minerals Inc. (TSX:R) says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has asked the company to carry out an environmental impact review on wetlands near its proposed Haile gold mine in South Carolina. The move will add about a year to the proposed development schedule for the project, Romarco said in a release Saturday.
The company said it will provide the U.S. government with an environmental impact statement, or EIS, on how the mine would impact wetlands and streams around the Haile project.
The proposed gold mine is in north central South Carolina and is part of a broader gold belt that stretches across several southeastern U.S. states. Romarco said the additional 12 months to the schedule proposed in the company’s feasibility study in February reflects the needed technical reviews and public comment periods in EIS schedule.
“We will continue to deliver shareholder value as we take full advantage of the additional time necessary to complete the EIS process by optimizing the mine plan, increasing resources, and reducing strip ratio through additional drilling,” said company president Diane Garrett.