TSX Venture Exchange: EMR
OTC Bulletin Board: EGMCF.PK
U.S. 20-F Registration: 000-51411
Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EML
VANCOUVER, April 20 /CNW/ - Emgold Mining Corporation (EMR-TSX-V) is
pleased to report that in a recent independent public opinion poll
commissioned by the City of Grass Valley ("the City") of 388 randomly selected
residents, 72 percent of those responding residing in the City are in favour
of re-opening the historic Idaho-Maryland Mine if appropriate environmental
safeguards are in place. Only 12 percent of those polled indicated they may
not support the mine's reopening. The City Counsel for the City commissioned
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin and Associates to conduct the independent telephone
survey, to better understand local development issues and the relationship
with municipal growth. The margin of sampling error for the survey is (+/-)
5.4 percent at the 95% confidence level.
Based on the Preliminary Assessment Technical Report (November, 2004 by
AMEC Americas Limited) Emgold anticipates that this project may directly
provide jobs for approximately 400 workers over a planned 20-year period.
About 200 people may be employed in the mine and about 200 in processing and
ceramic manufacturing. A preliminary economic impact study conducted by
California State University, Chico was undertaken using the information from
the Technical Report and local and regional economic data. The Chico report
states that at full production there is a potential for an additional 3,000
indirect jobs, $754 million/year of direct and indirect revenue to local
businesses, and an estimated $700,000/year fiscal contribution to the City of
Grass Valley general fund.
The City has retained consultants to perform environmental reviews in
accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") and the
Surface Mining and Reclamation Act as a prerequisite to issuing a Conditional
Mine Use Permit. The environmental reviews began in December 2005 and are
expected to be completed in December 2006 with the circulation of an
Environmental Impact Report ("EIR"), at which time they will undergo a public
review process that is forecasted to be completed in February 2007. The first
step in the CEQA process is preparation of a Master Environmental Assessment
("MEA") wherein the community will have the opportunity to identify issues
that may be included in the EIR. The administrative draft MEA is currently
undergoing review and completion of the review is expected within the next 60
days.
The applications detail the staged development of a gold mining and
ceramics production operation on a scale of up to 2,400 tons per day. Included
in the applications are the dewatering of the existing underground workings
and the construction of a ramp for underground exploration and possible future
mine development and production. The applications also include provisions for
the IMMC to operate a ceramic products manufacturing plant, initially using
recycled development rock from the construction of the ramp and later from
mine waste tailings from gold production. As these ceramic building products
are made from 100% pre-consumer recycled material, they qualify for credit
under the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design certification program. Ceramic product sales are projected to
contribute significant revenue that could enhance the overall value of an
integrated mining operation.
The mine permitting process in the State of California is a structured
and transparent process that provides a balanced review of all applications.
Since 1960, 38 applications to develop and operate gold mines in California
have been made. It is important to note that all 38 applications were approved
including most recently in 2005, Bullion River Gold's French Gulch Project
located in Shasta County, California.
For more information regarding the City's survey, it may be found on its
website: www.cityofgrassvalley.com under "Community Telephone Survey". For
more information about Emgold, the Stewart, Rozan and Jazz Properties in
British Columbia, the Idaho-Maryland Project and the Ceramext(TM) Process,
please visit www.emgold.com or www.sedar.com.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
William J. (Bill) Witte, P.Eng.
President and Chief Executive Officer
No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information
contained in this news release.
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than
statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve
potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or
developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although
the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward looking
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not
guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking
statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and
continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market
or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are
not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments
may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's
filings that are available at www.sedar.com or the Company's website at
www.emgold.com.
