American Bonanza Posts Bond for the Copperstone Gold Mine 

VANCOUVER, BC - American Bonanza Gold Corp. reported that it has posted an approximately $1.6 million cash reclamation bond with the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") for the Copperstone gold mine in Arizona. The bond is posted to guarantee that Bonanza is positioned to complete all required reclamation at the end of the mine life at the Copperstone site, based on the current mine plan of operations, as previously announced. The Company will perform partial reclamation work at the Copperstone site concurrent with mining operations, as described in the mine plan of operations.

As previously announced the BLM's Decision Record is supported by the "Proposed Reopening of the Copperstone Mine Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-AZ-C020-2010-0015-EA" (the "EA"), and the Finding of No Significant Impact (the "FONSI"). The FONSI determines that the Proposed Action (construction of the Copperstone gold mine) does not constitute a major Federal Action affecting the quality of the human environment and that an Environmental Impact Statement is unnecessary. Bonanza appreciates the effort the BLM has put into the mine plan of operations and environmental assessments. The BLM and Bonanza worked co-operatively in developing these permit documents. The EA was submitted to the BLM on December 18, 2009 for the NEPA review, and the EA was approved in less than one year from submission. Bonanza is working to re-activate mining at the preproduction-stage Copperstone Mine in Arizona. The company's address is Suite 305, 675 West Hastings St., Vancouver, BC V6B 1N2, (604) 688-7523, fax: (604) 681-0122, email: [email protected].