ENVIRONMENTAL: BacTech to clean up Snow Lake arsenopyrite stockpile

MANITOBA - BacTech Environmental Corp. has been awarded the contract to remediate a stockpile of arsenopyrite concentrate located in the community of Snow Lake. The stockpile was created in the 1950s as a byproduct of gold production at the Nor Acme mine. The stockpile is estimated to be 250,000 tonnes with an average grade of 9 g/t Au.

BacTech has proposed a "no cost to the taxpayer" approach to the clean up. The company will recover payable metals for its own account from the stockpile while treating the contained arsenic. The company's bio-oxidation technology has been used successfully in the gold industry for many years to aid the extraction of gold from arsenical concentrates, while stabilizing arsenic into a benign form.

BacTech completed test work at the site in 2010 that showed bioleaching technology is well suited for the stabilization of the high levels of arsenic in the stockpile. This will be the first commercial bioleach facility in North America.

Ross Orr, BacTech president & CEO, said, "This is a major step forward for BacTech as we position ourselves as a leader in the field of tailings reclamation. It is a highly visible project whose success could lead to bioleaching playing a prominent role in future clean ups in North and South America."

The contract was awarded by the Mines Branch of the Manitoba Department of Innovation, Energy and Mine. It is subject to negotiating a suitable agreement between BacTech and the Manitoba government.

Learn more about BacTech's success with bioleaching at www.BacTechGreen.com.