Rubicon Minerals Ordered to Suspend Mill Operations at Phoenix

Rubicon Minerals Corp. (TSX:RMX,NYSEMKT:RBY) announced that on September 30, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) ordered it to temporarily suspend mill operations at its Phoenix gold project. The company must treat elevated ammonia levels, discharge water from the tailings management facility (TMF) and upgrade the facility, all within specific timelines.
As quoted in the press release:

The initial order received on September 8, 2015 ordered Rubicon to commission new interim and permanent ammonia treatment systems for the effluent held in its TMF and discharge a portion of treated effluent. It also ordered Rubicon to undertake other operational and reporting obligations, including construction upgrades to the TMF. The initial order was amended by the MOECC on September 14, September 18, and September 30, 2015 to allow the Company time to upgrade its facilities in order to discharge treated effluent.
The Company has been utilizing alternative technologies to address the ammonia levels in the TMF. Rubicon has made progress with respect to treating the effluent and believes it can resume mill operations in a timely manner. Rubicon discharged an initial volume of treated effluent on September 30, 2015.
At the current time, underground development, construction and trial stoping continue uninterrupted.

Michael Winship, interim president and CEO of Rubicon, commented:

The Rubicon Management team and the Board of Directors take these matters seriously and are committed to operating at the highest environmental standards. We have made progress towards treating the elevated ammonia levels in the effluent and have made it a priority to resolve these issues in a timely manner. Our underground operations continue uninterrupted during this time and we hope to resume mill operations shortly once we have met all the requirements outlined by the MOECC.

Click here to read the full Rubicon Minerals Corp. (TSX:RMX,NYSEMKT:RBY) press release.