NZC-TSX
NORZF-OTCQB
VANCOUVER, Oct. 10, 2018 /CNW/ - NorZinc Ltd. (TSX:
NZC; OTCQB: NORZF) ("NorZinc" or "the Company") is pleased to
report that the Responsible Ministers ("RMs") under the Mackenzie
Valley Resource Management Act (the "Act") have issued a Decision
adopting the Mackenzie Valley Review Board's ("Review Board")
positive recommendation for approval of the Report of Environmental
Assessment and Reasons for Decision (the "Report") for the Prairie
Creek All Season Road (the "ASR"), which will provide long-term,
year-round access to the Prairie Creek Mine.
"We are very pleased with this positive news from the
Responsible Ministers" stated President & CEO of NorZinc
Ltd., Don MacDonald "I would
like to thank all those involved in this process leading to this
positive decision, in particular the leadership of the Naha Dehe
Dene Band, the Liidlii Kue First Nation and the Dehcho first
nations, the Responsible Ministers, the team at NorZinc and all
those who provided input and support in advancing to this positive
decision. Our work will continue in the coming months towards
issuance of the permit and to construction of the all season road
and the additional facilities to bring the high grade Prairie Creek
zinc-lead-silver mine into production. We will continue our
advancement of engineering, our site de-risking process and
progressing our financing and pre-construction activities. This
includes updated financial, construction, operational and
commercial arrangements ready for a construction decision in
2019."
In a Decision dated October 9,
2018, the RMs recommended that the Project be approved
subject to the implementation of the mitigative measures and the
Company's commitments as recorded in the Report. These measure and
commitments are to mitigate likely significant adverse
environmental impacts and to address public concern. The RMs are
the federal ministers of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast
Guard; Natural Resources; the Parks Canada Agency; as well as the
Government of the Northwest
Territories ministers of Environment and Natural Resources,
Infrastructure, Lands, and Education, Culture and Employment.
The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous
Relations stated, "The responsible ministers and I believe
that all the issues raised relating to potential adverse impacts
from the proposed Project on asserted or established indigenous
and/or treaty rights have been meaningfully and completely
consulted on. As such, we have concluded our engagement and
consultation process with potentially affected Indigenous
governments and organizations on this environmental
assessment".
Background
On September 12, 2017, the Review
Board recommended approval of the proposed Prairie Creek All Season
Road and issued its related Report of Environmental
Assessment and Reasons for Decision, which it submitted
to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.
The Review Board recommended approval be granted subject to
implementation of measures described in the Report, which it
considered necessary to prevent significant adverse impacts on the
environment and local people.
During the subsequent review process the timeline was extended
to allow the RMs to complete consultations with affected indigenous
communities. In connection with this the RMs provided the Company
with five information requests (IRs) identifying specific issues
raised by Dene communities that needed further clarity through
proponent engagement, so the RMs could be confident that the Crown
had discharged its legal duty to meaningfully consult with
potentially impacted indigenous groups.
The Company responded to the IRs and in July 2018 the RMs confirmed the acceptance of the
responses (see the Company's news release dated July 23, 2018) and resumed the decision phase.
This culminated in the issuance by the Honourable Carolyn Bennett,
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations on behalf of the RMs of the
positive recommendation to adopt the Review Board's Report and its
recommendations. The full texts of the Ministers' Decision, and
related documents and correspondence, may be viewed on the public
registry website of the Mackenzie Valley Review Board.
About NorZinc
NorZinc is a TSX-listed development company trading under the
symbol "NZC". The Company's key project is the Prairie Creek
Project, an advanced-stage zinc-lead-silver property, located in
the Northwest Territories, held by
the Company's wholly owned subsidiary Canadian Zinc Corporation.
The Company also owns an extensive land package that it is
exploring for zinc-lead-copper-gold-silver deposits in Newfoundland.
Cautionary Statement – Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains certain forward-looking
information, including, among other things, the expected completion
of acquisitions and the advancement of mineral properties. This
forward looking information includes, or may be based upon,
estimates, forecasts, and statements as to management's
expectations with respect to, among other things, the completion of
transactions, the issue of permits, the size and quality of mineral
resources, future trends for the company, progress in development
of mineral properties, future production and sales volumes, capital
costs, mine production costs, demand and market outlook for metals,
future metal prices and treatment and refining charges, the outcome
of legal proceedings, the timing of exploration, development and
mining activities, acquisition of shares in other companies and the
financial results of the company. There can be no assurances that
such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do
not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral
resources are considered too speculative geologically to have
economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to
be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that
mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves.
SOURCE NorZinc Ltd.