Kerr Mines Receives Aquifer Protection Permit

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kerr Mines Inc., (TSX: KER, OTC: KERMF), (“Kerr” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce receipt of its Aquifer Protection Permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) has issued an approval for the modification of the existing Aquifer Protection Permit (“APP”) for the Company’s wholly owned Copperstone Gold Mine.  This significant event allows for enhanced mine operations and will further optimize the Copperstone Mine.  The new permit will be effective for the life of the facility.

The positive implications of the permit modification are evident in the new enhancements for the mine.  The modification will authorize the use of cyanide for recovery of gold from Copperstone ore using captive steel tanks located in the ore processing facility, allow for the storage of stabilized tailings produced from the ore processing facility at the Copperstone Mine and permit the construction and use of a water evaporation and infiltration basin to be used to recirculate back into the underground mine any un-used water produced from underground mine water management activities. The APP modification was initiated in early 2018 with the formal modification package submitted in December 2018 and culminated with an effective date set for September 18^th, 2019.

The attainment of the modified APP is a part of the strategic value-enhancing process designed to enable the restart of the Copperstone Gold Mine under improved operating conditions.  The process involves modifying two existing ADEQ environmental permits and modifying the Federal Bureau of Land Management Mine Plan of Operations (“MPO”)  The modification for the ADEQ permit governing air was received in December 2018 (Please refer to Press Release dated February 5, 2019) and the modification to the MPO is expected to be received in Q4-2109.  All other permits required for mine operations and gold production are in hand and do not require further modification.

In aggregate, the modifications of the three existing permits allow for an increase of gold ore production from the current allowable limit of 450 tons per day to 600 tons per day, the use of cyanide for gold recovery and the deposition of water produced from mine water management activities to an on-site infiltration and evaporation basin.

Giulio T. Bonifacio, Chief Executive Officer stated: “We would like to thank the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, along with our team of consultants, that worked diligently over the past year to modify our existing permit package to enhance the conditions for operational expansion and increase our production throughput to be in alignment with our economic business objectives.  As we continue to add value to the Copperstone Mine, we look forward to concluding the permit modification strategy by receiving the modified MPO in Q4.”

About Kerr Mines Inc.
Kerr Mines is an Emerging American Gold Producer currently advancing the 100% owned, fully permitted past-producing Copperstone Mine project to production. Copperstone is a high-grade gold project located along a detachment fault mineral belt in mining-friendly Arizona. This gold project in Arizona demonstrates tremendous exploration potential targeting multi-million ounce prospects within a 50 Square kilometers (12,259 acre)  land package.  

For further information please visit the Kerr Mines website (www.kerrmines.com)

KERR MINES INC.

Giulio T. Bonifacio, Chief Executive Officer

For further information contact:
Giulio Bonifacio
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
604-318-6760

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including current expectations on the timing of the commencement of production and the rate of production, if commenced. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such statements. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the Canadian economy; the price of gold; operational, funding, and liquidity risks; the degree to which  mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; and the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; the risks and hazards associated with underground operations. Risks and uncertainties about Kerr Mines’ business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials, including its annual information form and MD&A, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at www.sedar.com and readers are urged to read these materials. Kerr Mines assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements unless required by law.  Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and no stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.