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REGIONAL NEWS - U.S. & CANADA 8 E&MJ; • MAY 2018 www.e-mj.com eCobalt Ramps Up in Idaho eCobalt Solutions Inc. reported that activ- ities continue to progress at its Idaho co- balt project (ICP). Located near Salmon, Idaho, the ICP is the sole, near term pri- mary cobalt deposit in the United States. "As we prepare for underground mine development, capital raised from our recent financing is being deployed on pre-construction activities as planned," said Paul Farquharson, president and CEO of eCobalt. "Delivery of the water treatment plant components has com- menced, and we have awarded contracts to construct the plant starting in May. This fulfills an integral part of our ap- proved Plan of Operations, and our com- mitment to sustainable water manage- ment at the ICP for the long-term benefit of the region, the environment and the communities in which we operate." The water treatment plant, designed and supplied by Veolia Water Technolo- gies, will treat water from the underground mine and runoff from the dry stacked tail- ings facility prior to discharge in accor- dance with the ICP's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The water treatment plant uses advanced treatment processes for metals and nitrogen removal in a compact foot- print. Water discharged will meet all of the requirements of the permit and will help protect water quality in the basin, Farqu- harson explained. Engineering of the wa- ter treatment plant is complete with com- ponents en route to the ICP in preparation for commencement of construction. Construction contracts have been awarded for the water management ponds; building pads for the concentrator, mill and water treatment plant; QA/QC for all earth work and concrete; fuel island; gravel haul; and potable water wells. Engineering for the roaster design in the optimized fea- sibility study is progressing based on data gained from pilot tests being conducted with Dundee Sustainable Technologies. Additional surface construction sup- port equipment is being delivered to the site and the transition from pre-construc- tion environmental monitoring to the Op- erational Monitoring schedule has begun. To transition the ICP to construction and prepare for operations, environmental systems, warehouse expansion and health and safety plans are being updated, as well as hiring for several integral roles, including mine manager, superintendents and met- allurgists. Over the course of the coming weeks, pre-construction activities will con- tinue to progress in preparation for full con- struction ramp up in the summer of 2018. County Board Regulates Mining in Wisconsin The county board of Marathon County, Wisconsin, adopted rules on April 11 aimed at regulating miner activity target- ing the Reef deposit, previously explored and currently staked by Aquila Resources. According to the local newspaper, the rules prohibit mining within 800 ft of city or county land. They include a permitting application fee of $50,000, which would go toward the resulting bill from the coun- ty. That bill could include costs incurred to review the permit, and in mitigating well water impacts, repairing or modifying roads, and compensating communities. The development aligns with a plan announced by state Sen. Jerry Petrowski after Gov. Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 499, aptly dubbed the Mining for America bill, in December 2017. The bill overturned a two-decade-old moratorium on non-iron ore sulfide mining in the state. Sen. Petrowski said he shared the concerns of those favoring "solid protec- tions for both the environment and the taxpayer." Along those lines, the senator supported an attached amendment that would delay the bill's effective date for a half-year to "give local governments ample time to update their ordinances" and get "prepared for any potential per- mit applications." The senator stated he had "been in touch with local government leaders" and had directed the "Wiscon- sin Counties Association and Wisconsin Towns Association, asking them to create model ordinances for their members." Marathon County is set to adopt addi- tional rules regarding prospecting and bulk sampling, the Wasau Daily Herald reported. The county is one of only a handful with known deposits that could poten- tially be mined economically. The Reef deposit was first explored in the 1970s by Noranda Exploration. The state puts its reserves at 454,000 tons of gold-bear- ing ore. Since it acquired a stake on the deposit in 2011, Aquilla Resources re- ported completing 4,500 meters (m) of core drilling with highlights that include "3 m of 8.12 grams/mt of gold; 14.76 m of 14.41 g/mt of gold and 0.3% cop- per, including 9.26 m of 21.28 g/mt of gold and 0.33% copper; and 14.54 m of 3.23 g/mt of gold, including 3.5 m of 13.05 g/mt of gold." Aquila Resources reported it supports the rules, which were designed in part with the intention of bolstering "good re- lationships" between the miner, citizens and businesses. "I was happy to see at Construction contracts for the ICP (above) have been awarded for ponds, building pads and other earthworks.