GWMO Great Western Mining Corporation Plc

GREAT WESTERN MINING CORPORATION PLC

("Great Western", "GWM" or the "Company")

ENVIRONMENTAL PERMIT

Great Western Mining Corporation PLC (AIM - GWMO, Euronext Growth - 8GW) is pleased to announce that the Administrator of the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection ("NDEP") has published a Notice of Planned Action ("the Notice") to allow the operation of a gravity separation plant for production of precious metals by Western Milling LLC. The Notice includes a draft Water Pollution Control Permit and finalisation of the permit is now subject only to a regulatory 30-day public consultation period expiring on 10 July 2024, at the end of the which Western Milling will be able to commission the plant and commence operations. 

Western Milling LLC is a 50-50 joint venture between Great Western and Muletown Enterprizes of Mina, Nevada, created for the purpose of producing precious metals and precious metal concentrates from pre-mined material, including stockpiles, tailings and spoil, as well as from newly mined shallow ore. 

Great Western Executive Chairman Brian Hall commented:  "The publication of a Notice for Planned Action by NDEP is a significant and long-awaited step towards the start of production from our mill, construction of which was completed at the turn of the year.  Achieving the approval of NDEP has been a lengthy process, terminating in a comprehensive site inspection in late May. We appreciate the conditional approval now granted by NDEP and are grateful for the patience of our shareholders.

"When finalised, we will be able to start processing our material which includes a JORC-compliant inferred resource of 31,000 tonnes, grading 1.6 grams/ton Au and 3.0 grams/ton Ag in tailings at our Olympic Mine site, purchase of which was recently completed and announced.

"Initially the mill will be able to process approximately 35 tonnes per day but has the capacity to be expanded at minimal cost to 200 tonnes/day, once operating parameters have been established.  In the first phase, material will be processed through the gravity circuit but the plant has been built to meet the specifications required for a second phase chemical leaching project, for which a permit application will be lodged once gravity processing is operational.

"We will publish appropriate updates when information becomes available."

For further information:

Notes to Editors

The Company has a large tract of acreage in Mineral County, Nevada. The area consists of rugged, mountainous terrain, which means that large parts of it remain under-explored. Mineral potential is hosted by the regional Walker Lane Structural Belt, the largest structural and metallogenic belt in Nevada, yet one of the least explored in recent times, with gold, silver and copper currently produced in Mineral County.  Great Western has seven distinct concession areas which offer the potential for exploiting (1) short term gold and silver deposits and (2) long-term, world-class copper deposits.

Six of the Company's properties are in the west of Mineral County and are 100% owned and operated.  The Company has an option to acquire a seventh property, the Olympic Gold Project, in the east of the county.  Great Western's small exploration team is supported by locally based consultants and contractors. 

The state of Nevada is one of the world's most mining friendly jurisdictions.  While tightly regulated and environmentally conscious, Nevada welcomes the mining industry.  Great Western takes care to ensure that its claims are maintained in good standing and all regulations observed. 

There are numerous gold and silver prospects on the Company's acreage, including extensive historic mine workings which offer the opportunity for secondary recovery. The Company is party to a 50-50 joint venture known as Western Milling LLC which is constructing a mill to process pre-mined material for secondary recovery of gold and silver.

Furthermore, through extensive drilling over a five-year period, GWM has established a Mineral Resource on its first target area known as M2, of 4.3 million tonnes at 0.45% copper, for 19,000 tonnes of contained copper metal. This resource has been independently reported in accordance with JORC guidelines. 

GWM has also established an Inferred Resource Estimate of 31,000 tonnes grading 1.6 g/t gold and 3.0 g/t silver in tailings associated with the OMCO Mine at the Olympic Gold Project.  Additionally, exploration targets have been independently reported as follows:

·    3,400 - 6,400 tonnes grading between 0.5 and 1.2 g/t Au and 1.2 and 2.1 g/t Ag in the substrate beneath the tailings volume at the Olympic Mine.

·    9,000 - 12,000 tonnes grading between 0.9 and 2.4 g/t Au and 2.0 and 5.1 g/t Ag in a coarse stockpile at Olympic Mine.

·    4,200 - 7,700 tonnes grading between 40 and 140 g/t Ag and 0.3 and 0.3 g/t Au in spoil heaps at Mineral Jackpot.