Bonao, Dominican Republic.- The Dominican Mining Corporation (Cormidom) will start mining 0.6 million tons of nickel near the town of Maimon, announced operations manager Sergio Gelcif on Monday, during a visit to the community in central Monseñor Noel province.

The announcement by the Globestar Mining Corporation’s subsidiary Cormidom makes it the second nickel mine to operate in the country, after Falconbridge’s facility in nearby Bonao.

Gelcip said they’ll extract the ore using a technological model that guarantees a good environmental management which allows the restoration of the ecosystem in 20 years.

The project is in the Cerro de Maimon Mining Block C-1 exploitation concession, leased to Cormidom, whose project has an estimated service life between 13 and 16 years taking into account a mining and mineral profit plan on 0.2 to 0.6 million tons.

Cormidom PR Marino Báez said they expect the mine will create at least 150 direct jobs and another 200 indirect ones during a 10 year period.

He said that in addition to the investment and the payment of taxes, the project will provide additional funds to the municipalities Maimon and Piedra Blanca, with an 5% environmental tax on the company’s income, funds which must be invested in infrastructure and services.

Báez, speaking in Maimon, added that the mine’s design features an efficient drainage system for the sediment lagoons to prevent affecting properties near the zone, noting that Cormidom promotes an environmentally responsible culture in all its operations. “The project’s conceptual development plan is based on the use of conventional open quarry mining, similar to those operating in Cerro de Maimon, property of the company.”