The Humboldt County Commission approved a letter of support at their July 8 meeting in response to Hycroft Mining Corporation’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
Hycroft’s Vice President of Operations Nigel Bain said the company recently completed a public comment period regarding the Phase II expansion. The meetings were held in Pershing County and in Humboldt County in early June.
Tracey Thom, Vice President of Investor Relations for Hycroft said the DEIS received positive comments during the period. Thom said the company held two public meetings, one in Pershing County and one in Winnemucca. She added that although not many people showed up to the meetings, there were two “substantive comments” related to the project. One was from the Great Basin Resource Watch, which questioned calculations related to a pit lake. Thom said the company will address the organization’s concerns.
One other comment Thom mentioned during the commission meeting came from the Backcountry Nevada Hunters and Anglers with concerns regarding location alternatives for tailings. She said the two organizations have agreed to the proposed location cited in the DEIS proposal.
The Commission’s letter stated the City of Winnemucca and Humboldt County “are excited about the prospects of this proposed expansion ….” The Commission supports facilities to operate a mill process plant as part of the mine’s effort to treat large sulfide deposits through an innovative heap leach oxidation process.
Bain said the company continues to test the oxidation method and that it appears to a viable process. He said the mine has crushed and stacked almost one million tons of ore which will be processed in the future.
The company currently employs approximately 130 workers and contractors. The expansion is expected to triple the current workforce as well as extend the life of the mine by about 15 years.
