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Re: News Release - Friday, March 28, 2008
Crowflight Granted License to Commence Production at Bucko Lake
Nickel Project
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CROWFLIGHT MINERALS INC. (Crowflight, the Company) (TSX Venture
Exchange: CML) is pleased to announce that it has received its
Environment Act License from the province of Manitoba. This permit will
allow Crowflight to commence production at the Bucko Lake Nickel
Project, located near Wabowden, Manitoba.
Due to the extended schedule for completion of the federal permitting
process to allow Crowflight to store tailings in Bucko Lake and the
likelihood that federal permits would not be available by the time the
mine would be ready to start production in the third quarter of 2008,
Crowflight decided to consider alternative means of bringing the
project into production. To this end, Crowflight submitted a Notice of
Alteration (NOA) to its original Environment Act License Proposal in
December 2007 to include the provision for an interim land-based
tailings storage facility (ITSF) that would allow for up to 12 months
of tailings to be stored on surface, assuming 50% of the tailings are
disposed underground in mined out areas as originally planned.
Mike Hoffman, Crowflight's President and CEO commented: "We are pleased
to have received the Environment Act License from the provincial
government, as it gives us the green light to commence production at
the Bucko Lake Nickel Project this year. We feel that the interim
land-based tailings storage is the best solution to allow us to begin
operations at Bucko upon completion of site construction. This interim
alternative will ensure the safety and protection of the surrounding
environment and will enable us to start production in the third quarter
of 2008, while allowing the federal permitting process for the use of
Bucko Lake as a Tailings Impoundment Area to be duly completed. We
continue to work closely with our local communities, the government of
Manitoba and the federal government to expedite the federal permitting
process."
Due to the nature of the design of the ITSF, only provincial permitting
is required. However, Crowflight is still engaged in, and will continue
with, the process of securing federal environmental permits for the use
of Bucko Lake as a Tailings Impoundment Area (TIA) for long-term
tailings storage. One of the major milestones in the federal permitting
process occurred in November 2007 and in February 2008 with the Section
35 Aboriginal Consultation with the community of Wabowden and the First
Nation community of Cross Lake. The next milestone in the federal
permitting process should occur in the second quarter of 2008 with the
release of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) screening
environmental assessment (prepared by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in
cooperation with Transport Canada) relating to the use of Bucko Lake as
a TIA.
Once the final approval for the proposed TIA is obtained from the
federal government, Crowflight plans to transfer the tailings stored in
the land-based ITSF to the Bucko Lake TIA, as this method is considered
the most environmentally-sound approach for secure, long-term tailings
storage.
The current construction schedule estimates that the commissioning of
the processing plant and ore throughput ramp-up will occur in the third
quarter of 2008, with mill commissioning expected in July and the first
ore to be processed through the mill in August of 2008.
Please visit www.crowflight.com for photos of construction activities at the Bucko Lake
Nickel Project.
Crowflight Minerals - Canada's Next Nickel Producer.
Crowflight Minerals Inc. (TSX-V: CML) is a Canadian junior mining
exploration and development company focused on nickel, copper and
Platinum Group Mineral (PGM) projects in the Thompson Nickel Belt and
Sudbury Basin. The Company currently owns and/or has under option
approximately 800 square kilometres of exploration and development
properties in Manitoba and Ontario.
Crowflight's priority is to bring the fully-funded Bucko Lake Nickel
Project located near Wabowden, Manitoba into production by the third
quarter of 2008.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information.
Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the
information in this press release constitutes "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such
forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans",
"proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may",
"will" and include without limitation, statements regarding
construction and permitting timelines and costs, environmental impact,
impact of receipt of permits, timing of future aboriginal consultation
and costs of timing of production. There can be no assurance that such
statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events
could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal
prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining industry, and
regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside the control of the
Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on
forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable
securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any
intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Further information is available on the Company's website at www.crowflight.com or
contact:
Mike Hoffman
President and CEO
Crowflight Minerals
Tel: (416) 861-2964
Heather Colpitts
Manager, Investor and Public Relations
Crowflight Minerals
Tel: (416) 861-5803
info@crowflight.com
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Copyright (c) 2008 CROWFLIGHT MINERALS INC. (CML) All rights reserved.
For more information visit our website at http://www.crowflight.com/
or send mailto:info@crowflight.com
Message sent on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 2:12:13 PM Pacific Time
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