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Stellar Diamonds Applies for License to Mine at Tongo Project
Nov 30, 2015 2:30 AM
By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... Stellar Diamonds has applied for
license to carry out large-scale mining at the Tongo project in Sierra Leone,
the West Africa-focused diamond exploration group said.
Stellar, based in the UK and listed on London’s Alternative
Investment Market, has submitted the application to Sierra Leone’s National
Minerals Agency for consideration prior to review by the Minerals Advisory
Board (MAB). The MAB will then make its recommendation to the minister of mines
for approval, Stellar said in a statement November 27.
The final environmental, social and health-impact assessment
report has been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for
consideration. Public disclosure meetings will be held in 2016 in the project
area and in Freetown, the capital, after which the report can be approved by
the EPA and the environmental license issued.
“The submission of the Tongo mining license application and
ESHIA marks a key milestone in the development of the project as we make the
transition from exploration to mining,” chief executive Karl Smithson said.
"Notably, as far as I am aware, this is the first large
scale mining license of any kind to be applied for since the onset of the Ebola
crisis. As such this therefore also marks an important milestone for the
country of Sierra Leone which needs to attract new private sector investment to
contribute to its post-Ebola economic recovery.” The virus disease spread to Sierra
Leone in the early spring 2014, according to the World Health Organization.
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Tags:
exploration, licenses, mining, Rapaport News, Regulation, Sierra Leone, Stellar Diamonds, tongo
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