Baseline Studies and Strategic Consulting Set Path for Project Approach

Background

In 2006, Talon Metals retained Foth as the lead environmental consultant for their Tamarack Project, a high-grade nickel and copper intrusion located west of Duluth in Tamarack, Minnesota. The Tamarack Project is located in a water rich environment characterized by widespread wetlands streams and lakes. We initiated baseline environmental studies for the project, including stream gauging stations to monitor seasonal flow and water chemistry, groundwater monitoring of the regional aquifer, and pump tests. As exploration efforts returned positive results, the baseline studies program was scaled up to include more monitoring stations covering potentially affected resources.

Approach

Since 2006, Foth has been leading baseline hydrologic monitoring of groundwater and surface water conditions at the site, including site characterization activities, and regulatory interaction with state regulatory agencies and local Native American groups. Groundwater studies have included aquifer pumping tests and the installation of regional groundwater monitoring wells to characterize the regional hydrogeology of the Quaternary deposits. Foth completed studies to characterize the hydrogeology of the fractured bedrock using optical televiewer techniques, fluid resistivity measurements, discrete fracture water quality testing, and packer tests. Other baseline studies have included reconnaissance level surveys of habitat and studies on the geochemistry of the intrusion and hard rock. Foth has participated in several broad scale Order of Magnitude and Preliminary Economic Assessments of the project and remains an integral member of the Project Team.

Results

As part of this work, Foth has positioned the Project to be an advantageous position to initiate Project Permitting and Environmental Review when a decision is made to advance development of the resource.