News Out - Drilling to PROCEEDFinally we get some progress:
2007-06-28 09:13 ET - News Release
Mr. Richard Clement reports
POWERTECH RECEIVES STATE APPROVAL FOR ADDITIONAL MONITOR WELLS AT CENTENNIAL
Powertech Uranium Corp., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Powertech (USA) Inc., has received authorization from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources' Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS) to proceed with drilling monitoring wells for its Centennial project in northeastern Colorado.
The DRMS has approved Powertech's notice of intent to drill 23 additional monitoring and aquifer test wells. These new wells, along with 26 existing monitoring wells that are currently being rehabilitated, will be used for groundwater data collection as part of the baseline study in advance of preparing permit applications for mining operations. The wells will sample water from multiple aquifers at multiple depths, and computerized data will define the hydrological characteristics of the uranium ore zone, groundwater flow and testing of water quality in the surrounding strata. The wells also will also be regularly sampled for continuing analysis.
Preliminary environmental data collected from the wells along with other data collection will continue through mid-2008 and will become the basis for multiple reports required to apply for operational permits that are required for federal, state and local agencies. After the Centennial project gains the required approvals, data collection will continue through the life of the project.
A drilling contractor has been selected, and drilling is expected to commence in late June or early July. The drilling process is anticipated to take four to six weeks once work begins.
Powertech intends to submit the necessary permit applications for in situ recovery operations to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Weld county in the second half of 2008.
In addition, Powertech has selected a strategic communications agency, Peter Webb Public Relations (Webb PR), to develop its community relations and media relations plans surrounding the Centennial project. Webb PR's team focuses on the mining sector and has extensive experience hosting public meetings, co-ordinating the public aspects of permitting and project siting. On behalf of Powertech, Webb PR has launched a call-in information line in regard to the permitting stage of the project.
Members of the Weld county community and interested parties seeking information on the Centennial project may call the newly launched information line at 303-898-4240 or toll-free at 1-877-798-4240. Messages left will receive a response within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mountain Time. On July 19, 2007, Powertech will host an open-house information meeting to give members of the public the opportunity to personally meet the Powertech team, ask questions and learn the facts on the Centennial project. The meeting will take place at the Nunn Town Hall at 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Additional meeting details will be circulated to community members and news media soon.