VANCOUVER, BC, May 18, 2022
/CNW/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX: TMQ) (NYSE American: TMQ)
("Trilogy" or the "Company") is providing an update on the Ambler
Access Project ("AAP") – the proposed 211-mile industrial-use-only
road from the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects to the Dalton highway.
Yesterday, the United States
District Court (the "Court") granted the United States Department
of the Interior's (the "DOI") motion for voluntary remand without
vacatur. The DOI had requested the voluntary remand of the
previously issued Joint Record of Decision ("JROD") that authorized
a right-of-way across federally managed lands for the Alaska
Industrial Development and Export Authority ("AIDEA") and the AAP.
Importantly, Judge Gleason also ruled that the Court shall retain
jurisdiction over this matter, and the Court is requiring that the
DOI file a status report with the Court within 60 days from the
date of the order and every 60 days thereafter. In addition, any
party involved in this action may move for a status conference upon
a showing of good cause.
The DOI had indicated that the remand was necessary because the
DOI had identified deficiencies in their analysis of impacts to
subsistence uses under ANILCA Section 810 and their consultation
with Tribes pursuant to NHPA Section 106.27. They requested a
remand in order to supplement the administrative record in these
regards.
Now that the remand request has been granted by the Court, the
Company will continue discussions with its partners, including NANA
Regional Corporation, Inc., AIDEA, the Northwest Arctic Borough,
the State of Alaska and South32
Limited to determine the impact of the above decision on AIDEA's
proposed plan and budget for the 2022 summer field season
activities that were previously announced.
Tony Giardini, President and CEO
of Trilogy, commented, "Now that the Court has ruled to remand and
not, as requested by the Plaintiffs, vacate the JROD, we can focus
on the upcoming exploration field season at the Upper Kobuk Mineral
Projects and AIDEA's field program for the AAP. We want to
acknowledge the strong show of support that the AAP has received
from the Native villages in the Upper Kobuk Region and the
Northwest Arctic Borough, that have passed resolutions in favor of
the AAP. In a recent opinion piece published in the Anchorage Daily
News, Tribal Presidents representing two federally recognized
tribes from Northwest Alaska
stated that "It is critical that the department (DOI) clearly
identify the additional tasks and have specific timelines to
complete further analysis of subsistence, environmental, religious
and cultural impacts of the Ambler Access Project. And we believe
certain fieldwork should be allowed to continue so we do not lose
the short season for that work to be done." We are hopeful that the
Court's decision to retain jurisdiction over this matter and its
stipulation requiring regular status reports to be filed will
result in the additional analysis being completed in a prompt time
period. Lastly, we recognize that subsistence is a key factor not
just in the development of the road but in the development of the
Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects which we believe will have significant
positive impacts on the local economy through the provision of high
paying stable jobs for Native Alaskans, and the production of green
metals, such as copper and cobalt which are critical for the
decarbonization of the planet."
For more information on the motion by the DOI, please go to DOI
documents.
About Trilogy Metals
Trilogy Metals Inc. is a metal exploration and development
company which holds a 50 percent interest in Ambler Metals LLC
which has a 100 percent interest in the Upper Kobuk Mineral
Projects ("UKMP") in Northwestern
Alaska. On December 19, 2019,
South32, a globally diversified mining and metals company,
exercised its option to form a 50/50 joint venture with Trilogy.
The UKMP is located within the Ambler Mining District which is one
of the richest and most-prospective known copper-dominant districts
in the world. It hosts world-class polymetallic volcanogenic
massive sulphide ("VMS") deposits that contain copper, zinc, lead,
gold and silver, and carbonate replacement deposits which have been
found to host high-grade copper and cobalt mineralization.
Exploration efforts have been focused on two deposits in the Ambler
Mining District – the Arctic VMS deposit and the Bornite carbonate
replacement deposit. Both deposits are located within a land
package that spans approximately 181,387 hectares. Ambler Metals
has an agreement with NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., an Alaska
Native Corporation that provides a framework for the exploration
and potential development of the Ambler Mining District in
cooperation with local communities. Trilogy's vision is to develop
the Ambler Mining District into a premier North American copper
producer.
Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain "forward-looking
information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively
"forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable
Canadian and United States
securities legislation including the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other
than statements of historical fact, included herein, including,
without limitation, statements relating to the permitting and
construction of the AAP, the timing and benefits of the AAP and the
merits of the UKMP are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such
as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates",
"potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements
that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or
"should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements 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 the Company's expectations include the
uncertainties involving whether the Alaska Industrial
Development and Export Authority will build the AAP; the results of
the additional supplemental work on the
FEIS resulting from the voluntary remand; the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic; success of exploration activities,
permitting timelines, requirements for additional capital,
government regulation of mining operations, environmental
risks, prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies
and services, uncertainties involved in the interpretation of
drilling results and geological tests, unexpected cost increases
and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2021 filed with Canadian securities
regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents
filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time
to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the
beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are
made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the
forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or
other factors, should they change, except as required by
law.
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SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc.