Marine Minerals Ltd - the Cornish company aiming to recover tin waste from the seabed off the coast of North Cornwall - announced that its detailed environmental research work has begun. The half a million pound (£500,000) year-long study will look into a range of issues to help ensure the project meets its stated environmental targets.

The finding of the research will go into the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which the company will submit when it makes a licence application, expected to be next year, to undertake the tin recovery work.

Assuming a licence is granted and the project goes ahead, it will bring valuable jobs and investment to Cornwall. Marine Minerals Director and Commercial manager, John Sewell, explained that the purpose of the study is to ensure that any likely impacts of the development are assessed properly.

“Our aim is to create a project which recovers the very valuable tin, while making as small an impact as possible. We need to understand in detail these issues – and the findings of these studies now underway will help us design the best process.

“Our scientific researchers will be looking at possible impacts on leisure activities, on marine and coastal plants and animals, on the landscape and geology, as well as air and water. We have said from the beginning that this project can only proceed if the waste tin sitting on the seabed can be recovered in a way which is environmentally and socially practical – these detailed environmental studies are vital to ensure we can meet this ambition.

“We believe this will be the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of this stretch of the North Cornwall Coast,” said John Sewell.

Press Release, April 25, 2013