VANCOUVER, May 4, 2017 /CNW/ - Northern Dynasty
Minerals Ltd. (TSX: NDM; NYSE MKT: NAK) ("Northern Dynasty" or the
"Company") announces that its wholly-owned US subsidiary,
Alaska-based Pebble Limited Partnership ("Pebble Partnership" or
"PLP"), and the US Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") have
filed a Joint Motion in federal court to extend a stay of
proceedings in the parties' longstanding legal dispute over the
federal agency's pre-emptive regulatory action under Section 404(c)
of the Clean Water Act to May 11, 2017.
The motion states: "The parties have identified a likely
framework for settlement and request a short, one-week extension of
the current stay to allow the parties the time necessary to
finalize the agreement and obtain the required approvals."
Pebble Partnership CEO Tom
Collier: "A great deal of common ground has been established
between the parties, including on the importance of upholding the
rule of law when it comes to administering statutorily mandated
processes under the Clean Water Act, the National
Environmental Policy Act and other federal statutes. On that
basis, we anticipate achieving a resolution to these matters next
week."
About Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.
Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development
company based in Vancouver,
Canada. Northern Dynasty's principal asset, owned through
its wholly-owned Alaska-based US
subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership and other wholly-owned
subsidiaries, is a 100% interest in a contiguous block of 2,402
mineral claims in southwest Alaska, including the Pebble deposit. The
Pebble Partnership is the proponent of the Pebble Project, an
initiative to develop one of the world's most important mineral
resources.
Ronald W. Thiessen
President & CEO
Forward Looking Information and other
Cautionary Factors
This release includes certain statements
that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in
this release, other than statements of historical facts, that
address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or
developments that the Company expects are forward-looking
statements. Although the Company believes the expectations
expressed in its forward-looking statements are based on reasonable
assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as
guarantees of the ultimate size, quality or commercial feasibility
of the Pebble Project or of the Company's future performance or the
outcome of litigation. Assumptions used by the Company to develop
forward-looking statements include the following: the Pebble
Project will obtain all required environmental and other permits
and all land use and other licenses, studies and development of the
Pebble Project will continue to be positive, and no geological or
technical problems will occur. The likelihood of future
mining at the Pebble Project is subject to a large number of risks
and will require achievement of a number of technical, economic and
legal objectives, including obtaining necessary mining and
construction permits, approvals, licenses and title on a timely
basis and delays due to third party opposition, changes in
government policies regarding mining and natural resource
exploration and exploitation, the final outcome of any litigation,
completion of pre-feasibility and final feasibility studies,
preparation of all necessary engineering for surface or underground
mining and processing facilities as well as receipt of significant
additional financing to fund these objectives as well as funding
mine construction. Such funding may not be available to the Company
on acceptable terms or on any terms at all. There is no known ore
at the Pebble Project and there is no assurance that the
mineralization at the Pebble Project will ever be classified as
ore. The need for compliance with extensive environmental and
socio-economic rules and practices and the requirement for the
Company to obtain government permitting can cause a delay or even
abandonment of a mineral project. The Company is also subject to
the specific risks inherent in the mining business as well as
general economic and business conditions. For more information on
the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission and its home
jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.
SOURCE Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.