AJD Issued For The Oro Cruz Project In California

VANCOUVER - Southern Empire Resources Corp. reported that for its Oro Cruz Project located in Imperial County, California, the United States Army's Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued an Approved Jurisdictional Determination (AJD). The USACE determination process was conducted to identify the extent of USACE authority over the Oro Cruz Project site, i.e. whether the project area covers "Waters of the United States". In the AJD, the USACE agreed that the Oro Cruz Project area does not cover any waters of the United States, nor are there any existing aquatic resources that would, subject to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, result in the Oro Cruz Project being a regulated activity. This AJD is valid for five years.

Southern Empire also reported that its Oro Cruz Project "Initial Study", was presented at an Imperial County Environmental Evaluation Committee (EEC) public hearing and proposed project exploration work was approved under a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) pursuant to California's Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). An MND is assigned to a project when an Initial Study identifies potentially significant effects on the environment, but where proposed mitigation measures will reduce impacts on the environment to be less than significant. The EEC hearing was part of a collaborative permitting process between the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Imperial County as a representative for the State of California.

The BLM officially notified the public that the it is seeking input and commentary concerning Southern Empire's proposed surface exploration plans as set forth in an Exploration Plan of Operations (the "Plan") that proposes specific surface mineral exploration activities, disturbing only up to 8.3 hectares (20.5 acres) within an approximately 253-hectare (approximately 626 acres) portion of the Oro Cruz property. All proposed exploration activities are to be conducted so as to avoid unnecessary and undue degradation of public lands and resources.