Central Asia Metals PLC Further update regarding Sasa's TSF4 (2176A)
September 28 2020 - 1:00AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMCAML
RNS Number : 2176A
Central Asia Metals PLC
28 September 2020
28 September 2020
CENTRAL ASIA METALS PLC
('CAML' or the 'Company')
Further update regarding Sasa's Tailings Storage Facility 4
('TSF4')
Central Asia Metals plc (AIM: CAML) today announces an update
following the 14 September 2020 leakage at its Sasa Tailings
Storage Facility TSF4.
Impact on the environment and local community
Surveyors have now accurately calculated a total volume of
leaked material from TSF4 of 8,000m(3) , of which 3,000m(3) is the
coarse fraction of the dam wall and the remainder comprises water
and the fines fraction.
A detailed survey of the river has been undertaken to define the
lateral extent and depth of the tailings along the water course.
This survey will be submitted to the relevant authorities along
with a technical document that defines the physical methods for
clean-up and disposal of the tailings. The clean-up of an initial
high-priority section of the Kamenica River commenced last week
with the agreement of the authorities.
Wardell Armstrong Limited has been engaged together with local
consultants, EcoMosaic to assess the social and environmental
impact on the full length of the river (approximately 14
kilometres) and lake. EcoMosaic will lead the Environmental and
Social Damage Assessment and Wardell Armstrong will produce a
Remediation and Mitigation Report. These consultants will be on
site this week to agree the work programme, which should commence
in early October.
Along the river, 17 sampling points have been established and
samples have been taken daily since 14 September 2020 and sent to
an independent accredited laboratory. Samples analysed in the days
after the event have demonstrated that lead, iron, arsenic and
cadmium are all within the allowed levels of Sasa's mining licence
terms at all sampling points along the length of the river. While
zinc and manganese levels are slightly elevated, this is also the
case up-stream before the river enters the Sasa mining licence area
and recent readings are in line with typical historic trends. In
addition, there has been no material impact on dissolved oxygen
levels at any of the monitoring stations.
Sasa management team has been informed that the Ministry of
Environment and Physical Planning ('MoEPP') has quantified a
EUR65,000 fine for the environmental impact associated with the
leakage at TSF4. This will be settled within the week.
Regular meetings have been held with the local mayor who, along
with community representatives in the town closest to the Sasa
mine, Makedonska Kamenica, has been kept informed throughout the
past two weeks of progress on the river remediation plans as well
as the status of TSF4 and its impact on the Sasa operation.
Production
As announced on 17 September 2020, the authorities granted Sasa
permission to dispose of tailings for a period of 10 days into the
prior storage facility, TSF3.2. This permission has now expired and
Sasa has temporarily stopped the processing of ore. Mining
operations have continued, with ore being stockpiled on surface for
the time being.
The physical repairs to the tailings dam are now complete and
the necessary engineering improvements to ensure the long-term safe
storage of tailings have been agreed amongst the Company's
technical team and external advisers, including Knight Piésold
Limited. It is expected that these improvements, together with
amendments to the operating procedures, should be complete in
approximately one week.
In the meantime, Sasa management are working closely with the
relevant local authorities in order to obtain the necessary
permissions to re-commence the deposition of tailings into TSF4.
The Company's production guidance for Sasa will therefore remain
under review until it is clearer when the processing of ore can
re-commence.
CAML's CEO, Nigel Robinson, is in North Macedonia with the
Group's Chief Operating Officer and Sustainability Director in
order to liaise with the technical consultants at site and meet
with both local community representatives and government ministers,
including the Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev.
Further updates will be provided in due course.
For further information contact:
Central Asia Metals Tel: +44 (0) 20 7898 9001
Nigel Robinson, CEO
Gavin Ferrar, CFO
Louise Wrathall, Director of Corporate louise.wrathall@centralasiametals.com
Relations
Peel Hunt (Nominated Advisor and Tel: +44 (0) 20 7418 8900
Joint Broker)
Ross Allister
David McKeown
BMO Capital Markets (Joint Broker) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1010
Thomas Rider
Neil Elliot
Blytheweigh (PR Advisors) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7138 3204
Tim Blythe
Megan Ray
Rachael Brooks
Note to editors:
Central Asia Metals, an AIM-listed UK company based in London,
owns 100% of the Kounrad SX-EW copper project in central Kazakhstan
and 100% of the Sasa zinc-lead mine in North Macedonia.
For further information, please visit: www.centralasiametals.com
and https://twitter.com/CamlMetals
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