April 23, 2008, Vancouver, BC - Cream Minerals Ltd. (CMA - TSX-V)
("Cream" or the "Company") is pleased to report
that it has now received a copy of a Preliminary Environmental Baseline
Study, prepared and completed by Pottinger Gaherty Environmental
Consultants Ltd. (PGL) of Vancouver, BC.
The study dated December 2007, covers the project area of the Company's
offshore licence at the mouth of the Mano River at South Coastal Sierra
Leone, West Africa.
In November 2006, Cream conducted a dredge sampling program on its offshore
prospecting licences and the Company retained PGL to conduct the
environmental study. A baseline inventory of environmental conditions
before mining operations commence is a prerequisite for an environmental
impact study, and is key in addressing mining operation design
specifications, environmental management plans, environmental liability
issues and international and Sierra Leone-specific regulatory requirements.
This study was conducted to summarize the project areas environmental
baseline conditions for biological resources, surface water quality and
sediment quality. PGL conducted a search for background information and it
is believed that this is the only available report of its kind for the
project area. A report entitled "An Assessment of the Status of the
Coastal and Marine Biodiversity in Sierra Leone", authored by Dr.
Ernest Tom Ndomahima (2002) assisted in providing information on biological
resources in the project area.
Site Description
Figure 1 shows
the site location in Sierra Leone. The mineral prospecting licences (EXPL
8/05) cover an offshore area of approximately 88 km� at the mouths of the
Mano and Moa Rivers, adjacent to the Liberian border. Dredge sampling for exploration
and environmental purposes focused on the mouth of the Mano River during
the November 2006 work program. The centre of the offshore prospecting
licences is approximately latitude 6�56.0' and longitude 11�33.0'. The
coastal villages of Sulima, Mano Kependeh, and Salijah are adjacent to the
licence areas.
The continental shelf off the south coast of Sierra Leone is gently
dipping, with a maximum slope of about 15�. The continental shelf was
exposed and subjected to erosional forces during the last glaciation. The
Mano and Moa Rivers created deep channels within the continental shelf,
which filled with deltaic sediment in the present-day outer shelf area.
Water depths at the outer shelf area reach 70m (Casierra 1996).
Background Information
In August 1994, Casierra Diamond Corporation and its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Casierra Development Fund Inc. (collectively, Casierra) were
granted six exclusive offshore prospecting licences for diamond
exploration. Refer to N1-43-101 by Charles K. Ikona, P.Eng, Pamicon
Developments Ltd., May 12, 2005. A geophysical survey and geological
sampling program was conducted in 1995 to obtain information on regional
geology. A second-phase exploration program was carried out in 1996, with
detailed exploration of selected target areas. The political situation in
Sierra Leone stalled further exploratory activities until recently.
In 2005, Cream, which has earned a 70% interest in the joint venture with
Casierra, completed a detailed magnetometer survey as phase one of a
two-phase exploration program. The second phase was completed in November
2006, and consisted of a dredge-sampling program. Site conditions were
observed, and environmental sampling was conducted concurrent with the
dredge-sampling program.
Environmental Policy
Sierra Leone has, among other legislation aimed at conservation, a
broad-based National Environmental Protection Act (2000) and a National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan that was launched in 2002. In making
recommendations for future policy guidelines, Ndomahina (2002) states that
"activities...such as agriculture, fishing, tourism, transportation,
mining, and waste management are in the hands of the private sector, with
the government playing a coordinating role only and acting as tax
collector". He says: "because of our special circumstances with
respect to our level of poverty, the increasing use of our biological
resources has often been permitted without adequately addressing their impact
on the country's rich biodiversity".
Recommended measures include further scientific baseline study, requirement
of Environmental Impact Assessments for major projects, sound coastal zone
environmental management through regulatory and economic policy,
establishment of conservation zones, national air and water quality
standards, and public education.
Mr. Ben Ainsworth, P.Eng., is the qualified person on this project for the
purposes of National Instrument 43-101.
Frank A. Lang, BA, MA, P.Eng.
President and CEO
For further information, please contact:
Robert Paul, Investor Relations
Tel: (604) 687-4622 Fax: (604) 687-4212 Email: info@creamminerals.com
or
Caterina Cerquiera
CHF Investor Relations
Phone: (416) 868-1079, Ext. 229
Should you wish to receive Company news via email, please email catarina@chfir.com and specify
"Cream Minerals Ltd." in the subject line or contact the Company
directly.
TSX Venture Exchange
has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of the contents of this News Release. Management has prepared this
release and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the
information contained herein.
Cautionary Language
and Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements." All statements in this release,
other than statements of historical facts, that address future production,
reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events
or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although
the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not
guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and
exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing,
and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are
cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance
and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the
Company, investors should review the Company's filings that are available
at www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.creamminerals.com.