The BLM Invites Public Commentary Regarding Southern Empire's Oro Cruz Project
The BLM Invites Public Commentary
Regarding Southern Empire's Oro Cruz
Project
VANCOUVER, BC
,
Nov. 17, 2022
/CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources Corp. (Southern Empire)
(TSXV: SMP) (
Frankfurt
: 5RE) (OTCQB: SMPEF) announces that the United States Department of
the Interior's Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") has issued a news release and published other
requisite documents related to permitting of Southern Empire's proposed surface exploration
activities at its Oro Cruz Project in
Imperial County, California
.
Please refer to the
BLM's news release of
November 16, 2022
, which officially notifies the public
that the BLM is now seeking public input and commentary concerning Southern Empire's proposed
surface exploration plans as set forth in a Plan of Operations (the "Plan") that was deemed, by the
BLM, to be administratively and technically complete and consistent with U.S. federal regulations.
The Plan proposes specific surface mineral exploration activities, disturbing only up to 8.3 hectares
(20.5 acres) within an approximately 253-hectare (approximately 626 acres) portion of the Oro Cruz
property located within the 184,500-acre Picacho Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in
Imperial County
. All proposed exploration activities are to be conducted so as to avoid unnecessary
and undue degradation of public lands and resources.
Figure 1: Where the Oro Cruz Project sits in the NEPA Process - Source: Bureau of Land
Management (CNW Group/Southern Empire Resources Corp.)
Also, pursuant to
the United States
National Environmental Policy Act
("NEPA") and the
California
Environmental Quality Act
("CEQA"), the BLM and the Imperial County Planning Department
("ICPD", on behalf of the
State of California
) have jointly issued a draft Environmental
Assessment/Mitigated Negative Declaration (the "draft EA/MND"), the purpose of which is to identify
issues, analyze alternatives, and disclose any potential environmental, cultural, and recreational
resource impacts associated with the Plan and disclose impact analyses and any required mitigation
measures, as appropriate. The BLM has also, based on the information contained in the draft
EA/MND, prepared and published an unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact ("FONSI") that,
should it be ratified, states that the proposed actions identified in the draft EA/MND will not
significantly affect the quality of the human environment and that an Environmental Impact Statement
is not required to be prepared for the Plan. Only after public review and commentary regarding the
draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI will the BLM make a final decision regarding the
authorization of the exploration activities proposed in the Plan.
The above-noted BLM actions have initiated a 30-day public review/comment period (beginning on
November 16
th
and closing on
December 16
th
, 2022) during which substantive comments regarding
the Plan and the draft EA/MND will be solicited from the public. To review documentation concerning
the Oro Cruz Project (including the Plan, the draft EA/MND, the unsigned FONSI, etc.) or to submit
commentary electronically, please visit the BLM National NEPA Register at:
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017983/570
. A virtual public information meeting will
be held on
November 30, 2022
, from
4 to 5 p.m. PST
and interested parties may register for this
event at:
https://stantec.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oL7ApimWRSqNfm9yw8e-mQ
.
Dale Wallster
, CEO of Southern Empire stated, "
The preparation and publication of the BLM's
Environmental Assessment documentation have taken a lot of time and effort and we thank all
those involved in helping us reach this major milestone and bringing us closer to receiving
authorizations necessary to start our exploration at Oro Cruz. We invite commentary from all
stakeholders in the region through the upcoming NEPA and CEQA public commentary processes
and look forward to continuing to work closely with the BLM, the ICPD and other stakeholders to
ensure that we meet all federal and state permitting requirements."
Qualified Person (QP)
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared, reviewed
and approved by
David Tupper
, P.Geo. (
British Columbia
), Southern Empire's VP Exploration and a
Qualified Person within the context of Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-
101; Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101).
About Southern Empire Resources Corp.
Southern Empire is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of metals and minerals
deposits in
North America
.
In northeastern Durango State, México, Southern Empire has an option to acquire a 100-per-cent
beneficial interest in the 1,750-hectare Pedro Gold Project. At Pedro, in the spring of 2022,
Southern Empire drilled gold mineralization approximately 800 metres from 2014 drilling by a
subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corporation. Gold mineralization, associated with highly anomalous
arsenic (orpiment and realgar common), antimony, mercury and thallium, has been identified hosted
in permeable basal conglomerates deposited during Oligocene extensional deformation, the
latter forming widespread Basin and Range physiography along the easter part of Sierra Madre
Occidental. Gold is present in 12 of the 17 holes drilled at Pedro to date. Please see Southern
Empire's news releases posted on
SEDAR
for further details.
In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of
Imperial County, California
, Southern Empire owns 100 percent
of the historical gold-producing American Girl mine property and holds options to acquire a 100
percent interest in the adjacent 2,160-hectare (5,338-acre) Oro Cruz Property located
approximately 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) southeast of the operating Mesquite gold mine of Equinox
Gold Corp.
At Oro Cruz, extensive historical drilling and large-scale open-pit and underground mining of the
American Girl, Padre y Madre, Queen, and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl Mining
Joint Venture ("AGMJV") occurred between 1987 and 1996. During that time, gold was recovered
by either heap leaching of lower-grade, or milling of higher-grade ores until AGMJV operations
ceased in late 1996 because of declining gold prices leaving the Oro Cruz Property with many gold
exploration targets in addition to a historical inferred resource estimate, reported In 2011 by Lincoln
Mining Corp., totaling 341,800 ounces gold based on 4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.2 grams gold
per tonne (g Au /t) at a cut-off grade of 0.68 g Au/t (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounce gold per ton;
please refer to the Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz Property Historical Resource Estimate
below).
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Southern Empire Resources Corp.,
Dale Wallster
, CEO and Director
Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information
Information provided in this news release may contain forward-looking information or forward-looking
statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. Such information or
statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations and are not
guarantees of future performance. Southern Empire cautions that all forward-looking statements are
inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of
which are beyond its respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and
uncertainties relating to Southern Empire's limited operating history, the need to comply with
environmental and governmental regulations, results of exploration programs on its projects, and
those risks and uncertainties identified in its annual and interim financial statements and management
discussion and analysis. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions, and results may differ
materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the
forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Southern
Empire undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.
Cautionary Notice Regarding Oro Cruz Project Historical Resource Estimate
The Oro Cruz Project historical resource estimate is disclosed in a technical report dated
April 29,
2011
, prepared for Lincoln Mining Corp. by Tetra Tech, Inc. and filed on Canadian Securities
Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR"). It is termed an
inferred mineral resource, which is a category set out in NI 43-101. It was based on historical
reverse circulation and core drill hole sample, underground channel sample, and blasthole sample
assay results and calculated using ordinary kriging to estimate gold grades in 10-foot-by-10-foot-by-
five-foot blocks. Accordingly, Southern Empire considers this historical estimate reliable as well as
relevant as it represents key targets for future exploration work. However, a QP has not done
sufficient work to verify or classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Southern
Empire is not treating this historical estimate as current mineral resources.
Cautionary Notice Regarding Exploration
Work Programs
The timing and the ability to conduct Southern Empire's exploration programs are, among other
things, contingent on: governmental regulations allowing for the issuance of permits; affects of the
COVID-19 pandemic; and the availability of exploration personnel, drill contractors, equipment,
lodging, etc. Southern Empire will adhere to COVID-19 directives regarding safe working practices
putting worker and community health and safety first and will proceed with exploration and
development work programs only if potential COVID-19 risks can be effectively managed.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is
defined in the policies of the Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy
of this release.
SOURCE
Southern Empire Resources Corp.
View original content to download multimedia:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2022/17/c3070.html
%SEDAR: 00044214E
For further information:
For further information on Southern Empire please visit: www.smp.gold
and SEDAR or contact: Lubica Keighery, (778) 889-5476, [email protected]
CO: Southern Empire Resources Corp.
CNW 13:57e 17-NOV-22