Infinity Lithium Corporation Ltd (ASX:INF) has welcomed the finalisation of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping document for the San José Lithium Project by the Regional Government of Extremadura’s General Directorate for Sustainability.
The company says the regional government’s response to the EIA study offers a streamlined path to complete and lodge the project’s mining licence application and environmental impact assessment submission; vital steps toward development.
Infinity developed the EIA document through its wholly-owned subsidiary Extremadura New Energies, in collaboration with regional and local government and other interested parties to the project.
The document is designed to establish the preliminary conditions for the San José project to be compatible with environmental and urbanistic licence requirements, which will open the path to mining and development on the project site.
Community-focused development
"The collaboration with regional and local authorities following the submission of the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Document last year has provided invaluable information and criteria to advance to the formal project submission,” Extremadura New Energies CEO Ramón Jiménez said.
“This follows from the granting of the key exploration permit which provides the administrative platform, with existing granted permits, a process that is clear and transparent for all interested parties for the project.
“San José is critically important for the locality of Cáceres and region of Extremadura and it is essential that we incorporate all environmental and social licence requirements to continue to harness the support of the community.”
Infinity says these recent advancements in the permitting process follow significant work undertaken by the Regional Government’s General Directorate for Sustainability and positive opinion polls in the local region of Cáceres for the potential development of the project.
The company is targeting opportunities for streamlined processing under the Extremadura Lithium Decree Law, which San José fully complies with.
Last October, the Extremadura government ratified a “lithium decree law” that declared lithium extraction and processing to be of regional and general interest.
In part, the decree enables the accelerated administrative processing of projects and better access to public funding.