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Morrison Mine stalled

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. is now looking at a possible 2013 start up for the Morrison Mine project.

Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. is now looking at a possible 2013 start up for the Morrison Mine project.

The company is proposing a copper-gold-molybdenum open pit mine North of Granisle.

Earlier this year the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) requested a further submission from the company.

The submission addressed major review comments and questions which primarily relate to water quality, water balance and the effects of the project on  streams at Morrison Lake.  The revisions are to reduce the risk of sulphide tailings by discharging higher sulphide cleaner tailings separately, from lower sulphide rougher tailings. The project also had to go through a second public consultation process, which closed in August.

Erik Tornquist, executive director, vice president and chief operating officer of Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. said the company was expecting a report to be issued on Oct. 4, 2011, but the CEAA has requested the company ask for a suspension, pending a third party review of the revisions.

"A third party review means that another company will be brought in to review the hydro-geological work," Tornquist said.

"While the review process is legislated for 180 days, interruptions are not unusual," he said.

Once the third party review is complete the findings will be submitted to the government for approval.  Tornquist said he expects that process will take 45 days.

He said in theory federal and provincial authorizations occur simultaneously. "It doesn't always happen that way. We are probably looking at another three months before we can start up," he added.