RE:RE:Quakes and the Patterson Lake DistrictThe baseline environmental work is on track, however, the RPA report clearly states the need to advance the consultation efforts beyond the local ranks completed to date and also identifies the need to complete the geotechnical work, which plays a significant role in determining if the methods for the proposed slurry wall and dyke are adequate.
I am just saying no one wants to acknowledge the need for this critical infromation. We know where the mineralization is and about how much, but we do not know if we can mine it with the methods proposed in the PEA until the additional work is done. Without it, designs are speculative and of little value other than as an assumption.
These are legitimate needs to continue to derisk the project, they are recommended by the FCU hired consultant and I would expect management to make a plan to follow that recommendation. If they allow this portion of the project development process to fall behind, yes Triple R could get passed on the timeline (Not saying they will, but they could). I am trying to get you to address the need for the geotechnical work, but you do not seem to think that it is important. I just want to see a better communication strategy of the plan for advancement that addresses these recommendations. If they plan to leave that for the buyer, they should state so since it is a recommendation in their documents.
~ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Key areas of consideration arising from the review of environmental and sociological aspects include:
• Consultation: While Fission Uranium has done preliminary community outreach and consultation, the level of consultation is very local and it will not be sufficient to support government Duty to Consult requirements and move the Project into the environmental assessment process. Fission Uranium will need to address this soon to avoid project delays.
• Lake Impact: Given the location of the deposit, impacts to Patterson Lake are inevitable. Regardless of the design, minimizing impacts to the lake will be very important, and it will be very important to ensure that the lake remains navigable to fish and boats.
• Baseline Studies: Fission Uranium has been forward-looking by starting environmental baseline and monitoring work. The work has been somewhat selective and should be sufficient to start the environmental assessment process, however, it is not currently sufficient to support an environmental assessment document.
• Risk: The main physical danger to the operation is forest fire and Fission Uranium has maintained close relationships with the local Wildfire Management base in Buffalo Narrows.
• Radiation Management during Exploration: Fission Uranium has developed a centrifuge system for effectively removing potentially radioactive cuttings and fines from drilling fluids. This material is effectively handled and disposed of at an operating uranium mine. Fission Uranium has a radiation protection program in place and appears to be following it
MINING AND GEOTECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS •
A geotechnical investigation of soil mechanics should be undertaken to support the open pit development and the dyke and cut-off wall design, with a primary focus on addressing the risks identified above. The program will require approximately ten geotechnical boreholes drilled around the perimeter of the pit and dyke to depths of 50 m to 90 m, combined with a geophysics program.
• A geotechnical investigation of rock mechanics should be undertaken to support the open pit and underground design. The program will require drilling of approximately ten oriented core geotechnical holes in rock: four for the main pit, four for the underground (two for the crown and two for the rock mass), and two short holes for a small separate zone (the R00E pit). The total length is estimated at 2,000 m for the program.
• Mining of a greater proportion of the deposit by open pit methods appears to be economically feasible, however the trade-off is complex, involving both qualitative and quantitative factors. As resource drilling continues and the Project advances to further studies, this trade-off should be revisited and optimized.