LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Empire Metals announced on Wednesday that it has started environmental impact assessment studies for its Pitfield Project in Western Australia.
The AIM-traded firm said the studies, including ecology and baseline dust monitoring, were an essential step in the project's development and would support its planning and de-risking efforts as it moved through the permitting and approvals process toward commercialisation.

It said the assessments would provide critical data during the process design phase, helping to guide the project team through various development stages.

Empire Metals said it had engaged experienced consultants with extensive knowledge of environmental policy and legislation to carry out the studies.

The company was also focusing on maintaining strong relationships with local communities and stakeholders.

Early engagement and regular communication were being prioritised, the board said, to ensure that the relationships remained positive as the project progressed.

"I am pleased to announce the commencement of our environmental studies with the initial focus on ecology and dust monitoring," said managing director Shaun Bunn.

"Further studies are planned across a wide range of important topics, with particular focus on local stakeholders and communities.

"These studies will form part of an overall environmental impact assessment, a critical component of the approval process for the commercial development of the project."

Bunn said the company had the opportunity at Pitfield to deliver a world-class asset from both an economic and environmental perspective, with the early studies set to help deliver the optimum route for development for all stakeholders.

"At Empire Metals, we recognize the value of the land in which we operate and we respect the significance of these values to traditional owners, landowners and our communities.

"We are committed to conserving and improving these values through diligent environmental management and innovative project design.

"Empire is actively consulting with local community members and stakeholders and remains committed to making positive social and economic contributions to the communities in which we operate."

At 1238 BST, shares in Empire Metals were flat at 8.2p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

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