Blackrock Silver has secured a Class II Air Quality and Surface Disturbance Permit for its Tonopah West mineral project along the Walker Lane Trend in the Nye and Esmeralda counties, Nevada, US.
The permit, issued by the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection through the Bureau of Air Pollution Control, marks the first of three key approvals required for the project’s development.
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It grants permission for surface disturbance of up to 150 acres (60.7 hectares) at Tonopah West, requiring effective dust control measures and a continuous initiative to prevent airborne particulate matter using the most practical methods.
It is valid for five years, with the possibility of extension and modification as the project progresses towards permitting and planned exploration decline, test mining and bulk sample extraction activities.
Current efforts are focused on hydrogeological and geochemical data collection, which are integral for the Water Pollution Control Permit.
Five humidity cells are being utilised to assess the acid-generating potential of waste and mineralised lithologies expected during tunnelling and the construction of the exploration decline.
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By GlobalDataThis includes stockpiles for mineralised material extracted as part of the bulk sample programme.
The hydrogeological studies aim to evaluate groundwater dynamics, assessing flow and volume management needs during test mining phases.
Engineering designs for waste dumps, stockpiles and portal entries are progressing on schedule.
These designs will inform surface disturbance calculations that are critical for the Nevada Reclamation Permit modification.
The overall permitting process remains on track, with all necessary approvals projected by mid-2027.
Upon securing these permits, Blackrock Silver will decide whether to proceed with exploration decline and associated mining activities at the site.
Last month, the company began deploying drill rigs for two resource expansion drilling initiatives at the Tonopah West project.
