Bunker Hill Places ESG and Regeneration at the Core of Its Innovative Value Creation Strategy
Figure 1
The ESG Vision of The Bunker Hill Mining Corporation
TORONTO, Oct. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bunker Hill Mining Corporation (the “Company”) (CSE: BNKR; OTCQB: BHLL) is pleased to introduce its innovative ESG vision, report significant progress with its ongoing sustainability and community impact programs, and looks forward to discussing these at the 6ix ESG Panel on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 12:00 ET. Investors and stakeholders are invited to register for this event following this LINK.
A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/decc0f2f-354a-4ef2-ba39-ba4d1c8db8ec
Brad Barnett, VP Sustainability of Bunker Hill Mining, stated: “The restart of Bunker Hill Mine using modern techniques will not only deliver important metals to the Green Economy and outstanding financial returns for our investors; it will also act as the catalyst for investment by our development partners into a host of other new businesses designed to multiply our long-term regenerative impacts on the local community and environment.”
As Bunker Hill refines the details of its mine restart plan, and works to conclude its on-going project finance process, the Company is partnering with carefully selected development partners, to not only improve the inherent sustainability of its mining operations, but also to enhance the local environment and economy in ways that have enduring positive impact.
Whilst the Company’s primary focus will clearly be the restart of mining operations, its sustainability team will work with these partners to attract new impact-focused capital and expertise into an evolving ecosystem of new jointly owned, non-mining businesses created to enhance the impact of the regeneration effort initiated by the start of the mining. These are illustrated in the vision diagram above; and described in more detail below.
PARTNERSHIP PROJECT UPDATES
(1) | Striving for ESG Excellence. In partnership with Digbee ESG, the adoption of an Industry-Standard ESG Disclosure system to drive and report world-class ESG practices within the Company. The Company has achieved a BBB rating in its first assessment with a clear roadmap for short-term actions that lead to a AAA rating. The Digbee evaluation was designed by ESG practitioners with extensive expertise in the mining industry. It provides detailed insights and incentivizes targeted actions for improvement that are specifically tailored to mining company projects and mining company management practices. | ||
(2) | Delivering Optimal Long-Term Water Management System. Over the last 18 months, the Company’s engineers and hydrologists, working with the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the IDEQ (State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality), have already improved the quality of the water discharged from the mine. In addition to reducing the environmental impact of the old mine site, this also reduces the burden placed upon the EPA-run Central Treatment Plant creating capacity that can be used by other mines located within the Silver Valley. | ||
a. | New In-Mine Water Treatment Facility. In partnership with MineWater LLC, the US EPA and IDEQ, the Company has started the final engineering study for an in-mine water treatment system at Bunker Hill Mine, designed to ensure the lowest cost and most carbon-efficient, long-term water treatment solution for the mine. | ||
b. | The advancement of a Student Educational Agreement with the University of Idaho, allows students to contribute to the design of surface capping options of exposed sections of the Guy Cave to further reduce production of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) within the mine. | ||
(3) | Developing Green Power Capability. In partnership with Colorado-based Ensero Solutions LLC, the start of a Waste-to-Energy Power Plant (WTE) Feasibility Study to investigate the use of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to generate electrical power for Bunker Hill Mine and the City of Kellogg and Shoshone County while eliminating waste disposal costs and carbon emissions for the County. | ||
(4) | Developing Local Biochar Production Business. In partnership with The Future Forest Company Ltd, the start of a scoping study into the establishment of a pyrolysis plant for biochar production may be located near the WTE facility. The biochar plant will run on wood fiber waste that would otherwise be burned or deposited into landfills. The products of the pyrolysis process are biochar, which sequester significant amounts of carbon and large amounts of heat that will power a steam turbine to produce electricity. | ||
(5) | Develop Residential and Recreational Real Estate. In partnership with Edwards Group LLC, the restart of Bunker Hill Mine will add approximately 150 new fulltime jobs in Shoshone County in 2022. This will occur at a time where significant housing shortages exist in both Shoshone County and neighboring Kootenai County (which includes Coeur d’Alene, Idaho). BNKR is working with experienced land planners and real estate market advisors to determine the optimal scales of development, product mix, amenity and service offerings and product pricing for our investment partners. The Company is now in discussions with potential investment partners. |
QUALIFIED PERSON
Mr. Scott E. Wilson, CPG, President of Resource Development Associates Inc. and a consultant to the Company, is an Independent “Qualified Person” as defined by NI 43-101 and is acting at the Qualified Person for the Company. He has reviewed and approved the technical information summarized in this news release.
UPCOMING EVENTS
6ix ESG Panel: Uplifting Local Communities in the Areas where we Operate
October 20, 2021 @12:00 ET
Join Us: REGISTER NOW
On Behalf of the Board of Bunker Hill Mining Corp.
Sam Ash
Chief Executive Officer & Director
+1 208 370 3665
For additional information, please contact: ir@bunkerhillmining.com
ABOUT BUNKER HILL MINING CORP.
Under new Idaho-based leadership the Bunker Hill Mining Corp, intends to sustainably restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine as the first step in consolidating a portfolio of North American precious-metal assets with a focus on silver. Information about the Company is available on its website, www.bunkerhillmining.com, or within the SEDAR and EDGAR databases.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as within the meaning of the phrase ‘forward-looking information’ in the Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations. Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “estimates”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “will”, or “plan”. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s intentions regarding its objectives, goals or future plans and statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the ability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains; failure to identify mineral resources; failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves; the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; the Company’s ability to restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine and the risks of not basing a production decision on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, resulting in increased uncertainty due to multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with this production decision including, among others, areas that are analyzed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves, more detailed metallurgy and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit with no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved; failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations; failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; political risks; changes in equity markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inability of the Company to budget and manage its liquidity in light of the failure to obtain additional financing, including the ability of the Company to complete the payments to the Lessor and the U.S. EPA pursuant to the terms of the agreement to acquire the Bunker Hill Mine Complex; inflation; changes in exchange rates; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in the development of projects; capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry; the cost, timing and ability to implement ESG initiatives which may not be technically successful or economically viable; and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
1 Brunner, P. H. and Rechberger, H. (2015) ‘Waste to energy - key element for sustainable waste management’, Waste Management. Pergamon, 37, pp. 3-12. doi: 10.1016/j. wasman.2014.02.003.