Graphite One (TSX-V:GPH) has supported moving to an environmental impact statement (EIS) for its Graphite Creek Project in Alaska, US, maintaining its 2029 production startup target.
The company says it concurs with the US Army Corps of Engineers’ determination that an EIS represents the best pathway forward for permitting the US’s largest known natural graphite deposit on the Seward Peninsula.
This decision follows close collaboration with the Army Corps during the environmental assessment process.
Graphite One says it has been conducting permitting work at the EIS level from the outset and structured its startup schedule to accommodate the comprehensive review timeline.
“We fully support the Army Corps’ recommendation to conduct a comprehensive EIS review,” CEO Anthony Huston says.
“This approach ensures transparency and provides the opportunity for all stakeholders — including local communities, Indigenous groups, and regulatory agencies — to have their voices heard and concerns addressed in a thorough manner.
“Our team has been preparing for this level of review throughout the process, and we remain confident in our ability to deliver this critical domestic graphite supply chain project on our targeted 2029 timeline.”
The company expects the EIS schedule to align with State of Alaska permitting requirements without delaying the proposed production timeline.
Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC), which made a significant direct investment in GPH in 2023, supports the comprehensive EIS approach.
Many residents in communities closest to the project are BSNC shareholders.
“We agree that evaluating the Graphite Creek Project under the full EIS process is in the best interest of everyone involved — Graphite One, investors like BSNC, and, most importantly, our shareholders who call the areas near the project home,” BSNC President Cindy Towarak Massie says.
The US Geological Survey has confirmed Graphite Creek as the US’s largest known natural graphite deposit. The US remains 100% import-reliant on natural graphite.
Graphite One is advancing the Graphite Creek Project in Alaska to establish a vertically integrated domestic supply chain for battery-grade anode materials and advanced graphite forms.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Graphite One
