A few articles of interest that weren't posted yet.
One is from Nov./98(fredericton newspaper).The other a press release from last week.
EMR
Press Release
EMR TO PARTICIPATE IN YELLOWKNIFE PROJECT
Fredericton, N.B., 14 January 1999 --- EMR Microwave Technology Corporation
("EMR") (EMW-ASE) is pleased to announces that it has been selected to
participate with Dr. William Cullen of the University of British Columbia
to investigate potential remediation solutions for arsenic trioxide
stockpiles located in Yellowknife, NWT. Dr. Cullen, a professor of
chemistry at U. B. C. and an internationally recognized leading expert in
arsenic chemistry and the effects on biological organisms, has been
assigned this task by the agency charged with proposing a remediation
strategy for the Yellowknife arsenic trioxide problem.
Arsenic trioxide is a known carcinogen and is produced as a by product of
roasting arsenical gold ores such as has occurred in Yellowknife over the
past 40 years. In October 1997 a special conference was held in
Yellowknife to address the environmental and human health problems posed by
the stockpile of arsenic trioxide in the Giant Mine. EMR presented an
approach based on its unique microwave technology and this approach along
with others will be evaluated in the current limited-scale experimental
project with Dr. Cullen.
Although this current project is not of significant monetary value to EMR,
the company is pleased to have the opportunity to demonstrate its
technology in addressing the important area of minesite remediation which
it believes will become of great value in the coming years.
For further information contact: Mr. Carl D. Ash, FCA
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (506) 444-8704
1-888-561-3671
Fax: (506) 444-8707
carlash@emrmicrowave.com
Website: www.emrmicrowave.com
THE ALBERTA STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NEITHER APPROVED
NOR DISAPPROVED OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, October 28, 1997
Fredericton firm may hold solution to arsenic problem
Today at noon, Jim Tranquilla, President of EMR Microwave Technology, Fredericton, will be presenting his company's solution to a toxic arsenic trioxide problem.
A federal panel is considering what to do with 3,800 tonnes of the stuff that's been stored in abandoned shafts at the Giant gold mine near Yellowknife since 1947.
The situation attracted national attention earlier this year when Yellowknife residents told federal environmental and health officials of the problem. Officials had gathered to discuss ways to reduce emissions from the mine's smokestacks.
Emissions weren't the problem; toxic tailings were.
Arsenic trioxide, a water-soluble byproduct of processing gold ore, has been linked to cancer and kidney disease. In fact, 140 milligrams of the compound is lethal.
The problem goes beyond the 3,800 tonnes in the mine shafts, however. Arsenic trioxide continues to be produced and Tranquilla says there are up to 170,000 tonnes requiring remediation at the Giant mine. And that's not counting the thousands of tonnes stored at mines throughout the world.
Royal Oak wants to have a strategy in place to deal with the arsenic trioxide problem when it applies for renewal of the giant mine's water permit next year. This week's forum is a first site in developing that strategy.
"This forum is a way of demonstrating that they're going to be responsible citizens. It doesn't tell anybody that they've got a solution, but simply that they're looking very hard," said Tranquilla.
Similar situations elsewhere have indicated that it is no longer acceptable to simply bury toxic mine waste.
Two years ago, the discovery of arsenic trioxide in tailings from abandoned mines around Sutter Creek, California, not only levelled property values, but threatened plans to establish a new mine in Montana. There was simply no way to effectively manage the inevitable output of arsenic trioxide.
But EMR believes it has a solution. It has developed a process to extract gold from ore without producing arsenic trioxide.
"Arsenic trioxide is an intermediate product in our process, but we consume that in the same reaction and get rid of it."
"Now, we would take that material as part of the feed stock with the arseno-pyrite mixture," explained Tranquilla.
The byproduct of this process, unlike arsenic trioxide, does not dissolve in water. It has been tested on ore from Goldcorp's Red Lake mine and proven successful. That is the message Tranquilla will be presenting in Yellowknife.
"What we're going to demonstrate there is that we're already doing that with Red Lake, and number two, just a slight variation on that theme, to take that stuff as feed stock is really no different than what we're already doing.
"We're going there to simply say what business we're in ... We expect that we'll have created the situation where they'll come to us."
The meeting is excellent exposure for the company. Representative of other mining companies, including Goldcorp and Campbell, university research teams from as far away as Alabama, and the departments of various governments, such as Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, will be attending.
"Ontario has a lot of arseno-pyrite mines and roasters, and therefore, arsenic trioxide. So, you see, the real issue here is not just what Royal Oak does, But it's going to become an issue that every arseno-pyrite roaster operation has to deal with," explained Tranquilla.
He said about $5 million worth of gold could be recovered. But it will barely cover the cost of remediation.
"The gold is really a side issue," he said. "It's sort of nice to get it back, but the real issue here is that they've got close to 170,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide that's got to be disposed of."
Gary.
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