Nord Precious Metals Receives Ontario Ministry Guidance for District-Scale Silver Processing Permit

Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc. has received formal guidance from the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Mines following a pre-submission meeting, outlining an expedited pathway for its Recovery Permit application that includes provisions for processing material from neighboring silver properties. This development positions Nord as a potential district-scale processor in North America's most strategic critical minerals jurisdiction.

The Ministry's written response confirms that toll processing arrangements can be included in the Company's application, whereby Nord would process tailings from adjacent properties. This positions the Company's Temiskaming Testing Labs facility as the natural processing hub for the entire Cobalt-Gowganda Camp's legacy tailings, a district where 108 underground mines historically produced 600 million ounces of silver.

Frank J. Basa, President & CEO, stated that while others pursue expansion across multiple continents, Nord is focused on unlocking value from waste streams in North America's richest historic silver district. The Ministry's guidance on toll processing validates the company's hub-and-spoke model at the regulatory level, demonstrating that substantial value exists in industrial heritage during an era where strategic mineral security requires domestic midstream infrastructure.

The Ministry has invited Nord to submit draft applications for preliminary review, a streamlined process offered to select applicants. The formal submission process, initiated mid-2025 following the proclamation of Part VII amendments to the Ontario Mining Act, will not require a closure plan, eliminating what has historically been the most time-consuming element of permit applications.

The Recovery Permit application will encompass three revenue streams: processing of Nord's Castle and Beaver Mine legacy tailings with demonstrated grades up to 786,809 g/t silver in gravity concentrates, recovery of broken mineralized material from Castle's Level 1 stopes identified during trackless conversion, and toll processing arrangements for tailings from adjacent properties, transforming environmental liabilities into cash-generating feedstock.

The Cobalt-Gowganda Camp contains dozens of orphaned tailings deposits from over a century of mining. With TTL as the only permitted processing facility in the district and Ministry guidance supporting toll processing arrangements, Nord is positioned to become a Waste-to-Market operator, aggregating and processing scattered resources that would otherwise remain environmental liabilities. This aligns with North American priorities for securing domestic critical mineral supplies from existing sources rather than waiting 15+ years for new mine development.

Nord has maintained agreements with three First Nations groups for years, ensuring social license and community support. Combined with existing technical studies covering geochemical, hydrogeological, and tailings stability assessments, the Company enters the permit process with advantages that typically take juniors years to achieve. More information is available at https://www.nordpreciousmetals.com.

The company's proven metallurgical process, which produced a 1,000-ounce silver bar and battery-specification cobalt sulfate from initial testing, can be applied across diverse feed sources without significant modification. Technical studies already completed during initial permit applications remain valid, eliminating potential delays. The regulatory framework specifically encourages this type of environmental remediation through mineral recovery.

Near-term execution plans include formal permit submission to the Ministry in Q4 2025, commissioning of the already acquired automated, modular 600 tonne-per-day gravity plant upon permit receipt, and initial processing target to begin in 2026. Nord's district consolidation strategy builds domestic processing capacity using existing infrastructure, proven technology, and clear regulatory guidance, with the path from permit to production measured in months rather than years.