Integra Announces Achievement Of Key Permitting Milestone For Delamar Project

5 June 2024

Originally shared on integraresources.com

Vancouver, British Columbia – Integra Resources Corp. (“Integra” or the “Company”) (TSXV: ITR; NYSE American: ITRG) is pleased to announce that the Mine Plan of Operations (“MPO”) for the DeLamar and Florida Mountain Project (“DeLamar” or the “Project”) has met the content requirement of the United States Code of Federal Regulations Title 43 Subpart 3809 (“Code of Federal Regulations”) by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”). The Company has been notified by the BLM that it may proceed with the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) process.

Highlights:

  • The acceptance of the MPO by the BLM is a critical step in permitting for DeLamar and incorporates nearly three years of environmental baseline studies, initial engineering design, and detailed descriptions of mining and reclamation activities proposed for the Project.
  • The preliminary MPO was submitted to the BLM in December 2023 and underwent the initial completeness review as prescribed by the Code of Federal Regulations.
    • During the MPO process, the Company worked closely with the BLM to address comments provided on the preliminary MPO, including the need for additional advanced engineering and reclamation studies, project revisions, and general edits.
  • Following the acceptance of the MPO, the BLM will publish the Notice of Intent (“NOI”) which will allow for the commencement of work on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (“DEIS”). The NOI step of the NEPA permitting process is integral as it begins formal engagement with all cooperating governmental agencies and stakeholders.
  • DeLamar is one of the few gold-silver development projects in the Western U.S. that will be actively advancing through the NEPA mine permitting process, demonstrating the significant scarcity value of the Project.

Jason Kosec, President, CEO and Director of Integra commented: “The acceptance of the MPO for DeLamar is a testament to both the quality of the team at Integra and the DeLamar Project itself. Incorporating over three years of environmental baseline studies, initial engineering design, and descriptions of mining and reclamation activities, the acceptance of the MPO represents a major milestone on the path to permitting mining activities at DeLamar. The Company looks forward to continuing to work with the BLM through the NEPA process and remains committed to responsible mining practices, environmental protection, and serving community interests.”

Next Steps

The BLM will publish the NOI in the Federal Register to notify government agencies and the general public about the proposed actions at DeLamar. The NOI is a formal announcement of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) as defined by the Council on Environmental Quality. The NOI is followed by a scoping process which includes engagement with federal, state, and local agencies as well as the general public. Once the EIS is formally scoped, the DEIS will be prepared.

The DEIS process includes an analysis of various environmental factors such as air and water quality, wildlife habitat, land use, socio-economic impacts, and potential risks to human health. It also evaluates alternative courses of action for mining and infrastructure to minimize adverse effects. During the DEIS stage, a public review and comment period will be held, during which stakeholders can provide feedback on the analysis and suggest changes or additional considerations. The comments collected, along with public consultation efforts, will be considered and addressed in the final EIS which informs the permitting decision.

Throughout the EIS process, the Company will continue work on various other permits, several of which are required to be in place prior to construction, including Point of Compliance Permitting, Cyanidation Permits, Air Permitting with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, as well as Section 404 of the Clean Water Act with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Company continues to engage with Tribal Nations as it advances towards the initiation of the Programmatic Agreement (“PA”) process. The PA is a formal document established between the Company, governmental agencies, and Tribal Nations. The PA includes framework for identifying, managing, and mitigating any potential impacts on culturally sensitive areas or historical sites.

DeLamar Project Overview

The past producing DeLamar project, which includes the adjacent DeLamar and Florida Mountain gold and silver deposits, is located in Owyhee County in southwest Idaho. Since acquiring the Project in 2017, the Company has demonstrated significant resource growth and conversion while providing robust economic studies in its maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment and Pre-feasibility Study. The most recent technical report is available on the Company’s website and has been filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.