Grande Portage obtains permit at New Amalga

Executive Summary

• Grande Portage secured a five‑year fish habitat permit and is pursuing a special use permit for stream monitoring, advancing environmental baseline data collection.
• Completed geotechnical/hydrogeological review, aerial LiDAR survey, and commissioned ore offtake studies to support the upcoming Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA).
• Retained NEPA consultant Ensight LLC and highlighted a new Alaska‑FAST‑41 permitting pathway that could streamline future approvals.

Key Details

• Fish Habitat Permit: Five‑year permit from Alaska Department of Fish & Game for installing a stream‑level monitoring system on the Herbert River; installation pending special use permit from U.S. Forest Service.
• Geotechnical Review: SRK Consulting finished an initial geotechnical and hydrogeological assessment to inform PEA and guide further fieldwork on groundwater and rock behavior.
• LiDAR Survey: Completed aerial LiDAR scan of potential infrastructure zones and access road corridor; combined with existing terrain data for engineering design of surface facilities.
• Ore Offtake Studies: Two independent studies contracted to evaluate direct‑to‑smelter options, gold payability, and transportation costs for sorted ore from New Amalga.
• NEPA Consulting: Engaged Ensight LLC (Charles Johnson) to prepare NEPA documentation; consultant brings 30+ years of experience, including work on the Greens Creek mine EIS (2024).
• FAST‑41 Program: Memorandum of Understanding signed on Aug 27 between State of Alaska and Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to enable streamlined permitting via FAST‑41. Grande Portage views this as a potential fast‑track for project approval.
• Project Configuration: Plans envision a small‑footprint underground mine with off‑site processing by a third party, avoiding on‑site ore processing plant or tailings landfill; proximity to tidewater and highway supports this approach.
• Qualified Person: Kyle Mehalek, PE, reviewed and approved the technical disclosure under NI 43‑101; independent of Grande Portage.

Notable Quotes

(No direct quotes provided in the release.)