NORONT FILES PROJECT DESCRIPTION FOR EAGLE’S NEST DEVELOPMENT
March 23, 2011
TORONTO, ON /CNW/ – Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: NOT) is pleased to announce that pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, it has filed its Project Description for the Company’s Eagle’s Nest deposit, in the James Bay Lowlands, Ontario, with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, and Forestry.
Noront’s President and CEO, Wes Hanson, states: “The Project Description initiates the permitting process for development of the Eagle’s Nest deposit. This is the first step of the permitting process and establishes a starting point for future consultation regarding infrastructure and mine development of the Eagle’s Nest deposit with the local First Nation communities as well as local, provincial and federal government agencies.”
Noront’s Project Description proposes a planned 1.0 million tonne per annum underground mine and mill complex processing high grade nickel, copper, platinum and palladium ore from the Eagle’s Nest deposit. Proposed surface disturbance at the mine site is limited to an airstrip, an accommodation, recreation and office complex, an explosive storage site, an underground portal and site roads connecting these facilities.
The mill complex will be established in underground excavations, taking advantage of the highly competent host rocks and minimizing surface disturbance at the site. Mill tailings will be stored underground as paste or cemented paste backfill in the voids created by mining of the nickel copper ore and competent waste rock which is planned to be used as construction material.
The Mine is estimated to produce approximately 150,000 tonnes of concentrate annually, which would be pumped via a buried pipeline, approximately 100 kilometres due west to a proposed site named Webequie Junction. This site is located approximately 20 kilometres south of the community of Webequie. A filtering and drying plant will be constructed at Webequie Junction to treat the concentrate, recycle the water back to the site and transfer the concentrate to truck for shipment to a proposed railhead near Savant Lake.
A diesel generating station will be established at Webequie Junction and power will be brought to site via a new power line. Both the power line and the buried concentrate slurry pipeline will follow a winter road that is proposed between the Eagle’s Nest deposit and Webequie Junction. The winter road will limit the environmental footprint on the James Bay Lowlands.
At the end of the winter road from Eagle’s Nest to Webequie Junction, an all season road is proposed to connect Webequie Junction to Highway #808 north east of Pickle Lake. This proposed route generally follows the existing Ministry of Natural Resources winter road corridor thereby limiting the environmental impact. This route will allow truck haulage of concentrate to the proposed rail facility.
During operation, mine consumables supply will utilize the same route, the proposed all season road to Webequie Junction followed by the winter road to site. People and perishable goods will be transported to site via air to the proposed airstrip.
Noront’s senior management have reviewed this release including Mr. Paul Semple, P.Eng., Noront’s Chief Operating Office and a Qualified Person under Canadian Securities Administrators guidelines.
About Noront: Noront Resources Ltd. is focused on its significant and multiple, high-grade nickel-copper-platinum-palladium, chromite, gold and vanadium discoveries in an area known as the “Ring of Fire”, an emerging multi-metals district located in the James Bay Lowlands of Ontario, Canada. Noront is the dominant land holder at the Ring of Fire and continues to delineate and prove up its discoveries with NI 43-101 technical and economic reports and an aggressive and well financed drill program. All material information on Noront can be found on the Company’s website at www.norontresources.com or at SEDAR at www.sedar.com
Wesley (Wes) Hanson
President & Chief Executive Officer
