Stephen Skjonsby - Mineral exploration permit

Stephen Skjonsby has submitted an application to the ministry for an exploration permit as required under the Mining Act for prescribed early exploration activities.

The activities that this permit would allow Stephen Skjonsby to carry out are as follows:

• mechanized Drilling (less than 150 kilograms)
• mechanized Stripping (less than 100 square metres in a 200 metres radius)
• pitting and Trenching of Bedrock (less than 3 cubic metres in a 200 metre radius)

The potential disturbance from the activities are described as:

Pitting and Trenching: are conducted to gain a greater visual understanding of the rock. The potential environmental disturbance includes (but are not limited to): the use of heavy equipment to remove surface soil and expose rock and excavating or blasting of rock, leaving shallow holes or trenches that vary in depth and length.

Mechanized Surface Stripping: uses heavy equipment to remove vegetation and soil (overburden) from bedrock. The potential environmental disturbance includes (but are not limited to): use of heavy equipment such as bulldozers, backhoes, excavators or forest harvest equipment, to remove soil from the bedrock, washing the bedrock by pumping water from nearby lakes, rivers or streams, and creation of access trails.

Drilling: provides rock samples from below the surface. Testing the samples determines the properties of the soil and rocks, including mineral and metal content. Potential environmental disturbances include (but are not limited to): clearing surface terrain for “drill pads” (small areas cleared for drill rigs and/or helicopters), installing casings (hollow steel pipes called the collar), and pumping water from a sump, nearby lakes, rivers or streams.

Provincial standards for early exploration are required to be followed by proponents to minimize the impacts to public health, safety and the environment from early exploration activities described above. You can find the standards in the Activities Information Sheets or on the Ministry website under Mining Act Policies, Standards and Directives.

This notice is provided to receive comments that can be considered in the decision-making process prior to the issuance of an exploration permit.

An Exploration Permit does not relieve the proponent from compliance with any other requirements that are set out under the Mining Act or any other Act. All activities included in the Exploration Permit proposal must be carried out in compliance with Ontario Regulation 308/12 and the Provincial Standards for Early Exploration. The Exploration Permit duration will be up to 3 years with the possibility of one renewal for up to three years.