Sustainability & Environment

Community

The New Afton mine will be an important direct and indirect contributor to the regional and local economy. With New Afton's proximity to Kamloops, it is expected that the city will benefit from the majority of the economic impacts derived from the construction and operation of the project. The Company believes this addition to the local economy will boost confidence in the area and may influence future business investment decisions.

New Gold has held discussions with local government, First Nations groups, tenure holders, special interests groups and the general public concerning the impact of the New Afton project. The Participation Agreement recently signed with the Kamloops division of the Secwepemc Nation (comprising the Kamloops and Skeetchestn Bands) will provide long-term economic opportunities along with social and financial benefits, including employment, education, training and business opportunities.

Environment

Water conservation is of utmost importance in the dry interior grasslands that surround the project. New Gold intends to use reclaimed water from the Afton pit for its operations, in order to minimize water use, and has ensured that the project design includes no surface water discharge from the site. The Company also has extensive plans to ensure that final reclamation and re-vegetation of the mine site is successful.

To that end, New Gold undertook environmental baseline studies including air quality, wildlife, hydrology, surface water quality and quantity, soil and vegetation in the areas surrounding the New Afton project. Ongoing baseline studies include surface and groundwater quality, air quality and wildlife observations. Also investigated was the local land use, including socio-economic, cultural and archaeological values.