Silver Valley Metals Corp V.SILV

PUBLIC HEARING SAN JORGE PROJECT

[Tizian]

30 NOVEMBER 2010
PUBLIC HEARING OVER THE SAN JORGE PROJECT

Over2,300 individuals, according to estimates of the Mendoza PoliceDepartment, attended the public hearing held in the town of Uspallatawhere a non-binding debate over the San Jorge mining project tookplace. Once the authorization is granted, copper mining will begin atSan Jorge hill.

The public hearing opened up with the company’s presentation of the main characteristics of the project.
AdrianaSchmutz, Julio Ortiz, Raúl Rodríguez, Alejandro Palma, and Pablo Alonsoaddressed, during 40 minutes (allotted time by the authority), the mostsignificant points of the four fundamental principles on which theproject is based – Environmental Commitment, Social Responsibility,Economic Growth, and Local Development.After that, the authorities read the corresponding summaries of theenvironmental impact statement, the technical and sectorial reports andthen, the residents of Uspallata were given the opportunity to statetheir opinions about the project either in favor or questioning someaspect of the project.
The residents emphasized the need for generating sources of work in thearea by means of a respectable activity widely spread throughout theworld, which also pays decent, declared salaries –conditions which arenot common in Uspallata.
Moreover, many of the residents stressed the need for the developmentof the area and a friendly coexistence of regional and agriculturalproducts together with responsible mining activity in compliance withcurrent legislation.
Later,several mining workers talked emotively about their former workingyears in the mining activity and they were emphatic about dispellingmyths and answering anti-mining arguments, in some cases exhibiting astrong emotion.
Several representatives of business chambers of Mendoza, mininghigh-school students from Malargüe district, and university studentsand professors, among others, supported the initiative and the project.
After almost 13 hours listening to nearly 300 speakers, San Jorge’spublic hearing was closed normally leaving behind another stage of theapproval process.
The next step in the San Jorge’s approval process is the EnvironmentalImpact Declaration (“EID”), which must later be ratified by theprovincial Legislature.For that purpose, at the end of November, the InterdisciplinaryEnvironmental Mining Assessment Commission will meet to analyze all thedocuments contained in the case file in order to begin the process ofissuing the EID.
Madoda Ntaka
South Africa Business Centre
blog: https://argentinamining.wordpress.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mining_in_Arg