DIAMONDS: Renard permits received, construction to begin

QUEBEC – Montreal's Stornoway Diamond Corp. is in receipt of all the major Quebec and federal government authorizations required to begin construction at the Renard diamond project this fall. The final permission was given by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency this week.

Matt Manson, Stornoway's president and CEO, stated in a release, "Today's announcement of the completion of major project permitting at Renard comes just 18 months after the filing of the project's environmental and social impact assessment. This is an extraordinary achievement by Stornoway's environmental and community engagement team, who have been aided throughout by the close co-operation and support of the Crees of Eeyou Itschee and the communities of Chibougamau and Chapais."

The mine, in the Otish Mountains, expects to begin commercial production in 2016, making it Quebec's first diamond mine. Plans call for a 6,000 t/d open pit and recovery plant. Consideration has been given to mining a portion of the kimberlite from underground.

Visit StornowayDiamonds.com for details of the project.