BC-based Wealth Minerals Ltd., whose primary focus is the acquisition and development of lithium projects in South America, announces it has received an initial work program review affidavit from the Chilean Environmental Agency, known as a Pertinencia. The Pertinencia is a key document as part of the stakeholder inclusion process for the company’s development of the Atacama Project.
While not specifically a drilling permit, the Pertinencia is evidence that the government regulatory bodies have reviewed the exploration plans of Wealth and concluded, based on the information presented, that the program does not require either an Environmental Impact Declaration or an Environmental Impact Study for the completion of the exploration works.
A specific drill permit is not required by the company to work on the Atacama Project. The receipt of the Pertinencia is a major milestone in Wealth’s outreach efforts with local communities near the Atacama Project, who stand to benefit together with the Company in the development of the northern part of the Atacama salar.
Henk Van Alphen, Wealth’s CEO, states: “We now have the Pertinencia, and the way is open for the exploration of our Atacama Project beyond initial geophysical work. It also is a sign of the government’s inclusion in the development process, as both our team and the regulatory bodies put significant work into the review and dialog behind the issuance of the document. I would also like to mention that Chile is a mining friendly and stable jurisdiction, and for large projects such as ours (Atacama Project), this stability is the bedrock of long-term smooth operations and asset success. Wealth continues to work with potential development partners and technology providers to ensure the Atacama gets developed using the best the industry has to offer.”