North of 60 Mining News - The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines June 29 reported the issuance of a Mines Act permit to JDS Silver for the Silvertip Mine located in northern B.C. about 16 kilometers (10 miles) south of the Yukon Territory border.

With the permit, JDS can begin construction, which is expected to take 15 to 18 months to complete.

JDS anticipates that - including the construction phase - the mine could operate for up to 21 years and create 150 to 200 new jobs, once full production begins.

Capital costs to develop an underground mine at the high-grade silver-zinc-lead deposit is projected to total about C$50 million.

Once construction is complete, the mine is expected to operate 150 days per-year, shutting down each winter.

The mine will use a combination of dry-stack tailings storage for its non-acid generating tailings and underground storage for its acid-generating tailings.

JDS Silver and Kaska First Nation have signed a social economic partnership agreement that will allow Kaska to benefit significantly from successful operation of the mine.

"The company intends to leave the land with minimal impact, while maximizing benefits to all of our stakeholders and our partners, the Kaska First Nation," said JDS CEO Kevin Weston.