Taseko Mines clears legal hurdles at Florence; advances copper projects

Taseko Mines (TSX: TKO; NYSE-AM: TGB; LSE: TKO) can move forward with its Florence copper in-situ project after the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled in its favour and rejected arguments made against the project by the Town of Florence. The ruling, announced on March 23, upheld the company’s right to mine its private property within the town, and also awarded the company US$1.7 million in legal costs. Final design and engineering of the commercial in-situ production facility and the procurement of other critical components is underway, the company said, and the Arizona Development of Environmental Quality has already granted one of the two key permits (the aquifer protection permit) necessary for commercial operations. That permit was received in August 2020. A second key operating permit (the underground injection control permit), from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, is also working its way through the system, according to the company.