CALGARY, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Birch Mountain Resources Ltd. ("Birch Mountain" or the "Company") (BMD: TSX and AMEX) announces that Alberta Environment ("AENV") has declared the Hammerstone Project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be "complete". Completeness is a determination that the EIA has fully met the requirements of the EIA terms-of-reference issued by AENV, and concludes the assessment phase of the Hammerstone application process.
"We are proud to achieve this regulatory milestone and I congratulate the staff and consulting team that have worked so hard on the EIA," says Joel Jarding, President and Chief Operating Officer of Birch Mountain. "The Hammerstone Project includes a six-fold expansion of our approved and operating Muskeg Valley Quarry, and encompasses all of the limestone reserves and the processing facilities needed to make quicklime and hydrated lime defined in the 2006 Technical Report".
In addition, the Hammerstone Project includes plans to produce cement, and to provide facilities for the reprocessing and environmental management of limestone-based by-products produced by the oil sands industry. "Opportunities to create useful products from materials currently considered to be waste, and full life cycle management of other by-products within our reclamation plan, reflect Birch Mountain's emphasis on effective environmental management and performance for our customers and our own operations," adds Don Dabbs, Senior Vice President.
"The Hammerstone EIA completeness decision is a significant step in Alberta's regulatory process, moving the application into the approvals phase. The Natural Resources Conservation Board will now make a "public interest" decision which, if favourable, clears the way to the final approval and operating permits for the Hammerstone Project," explains Mr. Dabbs.
Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, resources and reserves, exploration and development plans and results, anticipated capital expenditures and financing thereof, anticipated outcomes and timing of regulatory applications and approvals and the future plans and objectives of Birch Mountain are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Birch Mountain's expectations are disclosed elsewhere in documents that are available to the public at http://www.sedar.com/ and http://www.sec.gov/. DATASOURCE: Birch Mountain Resources Ltd.
CONTACT: Company Contacts: Birch Mountain, Tel. (403) 262-1838, Fax (403) 262-9888; Steve Chizzik, Equity Communication, Tel. (908) 688-9111; Website: http://www.birchmountain.com/
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