May 20, 2008 Release
03-2008
THE
CARMACKS COPPER PROJECT ADVANCES IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA –
Western Copper Corporation (TSX:WRN) is pleased to announce that
the Carmacks Copper Project in the Yukon Territory, has moved to the next stage
of the assessment process under the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic
Assessment Act (YESAA).
On May 12, 2008, the Executive
Committee of the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board
(YESAB) determined that the supplementary information submitted by Western
Copper was sufficient and that the screening of the Carmacks Copper Project may
continue. Therefore, the project has moved forward to the next phase of the
permitting process: “Considering Comments Complete / Developing
Recommendation”.
Pursuant to the change in the
project stage, YESAB now has up to 60 days (with up to further 30 days if
deemed necessary) to finalize their recommendations and produce the Final
Screening Report.
YESAB issued the draft screening
report on the Carmacks Copper Project for public comment on December 17, 2007.
Following receipt and review of public comments, YESAB required further
clarification from Western Copper in order to complete the final Screening
Report and Recommendation and issued a Supplementary Information Request on
February 27, 2008.
Western Copper looks forward to
continuing discussions with the Yukon Government regarding the issue of a
Quartz Mining License in anticipation of the release of a positive
Final Screening Report.
Mr. Dale
Corman, CEO and Co-Chairman of Western Copper, comments:
“We are very pleased with the progress and we remain committed to further
consultations with the First Nation as well as the other stakeholders with a
view to moving the Carmacks Copper Project forward”
The Carmacks property, located 192
km north of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, has a NI 43-101 compliant
Measured and Indicated resource estimate of 16 M tonnes containing 351.7 M lb
of copper, 206.6 K oz of gold and 2.1 M oz of Silver. It is currently being
developed as an open pit operation using solvent extraction/electrowinning
technology (SX/EW).
On behalf of the board,
“Dale Corman”
-------------------------------
F. Dale
Corman
C.E.O. and Co-Chairman
This press release
includes certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of
section 21E of the United
States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included
herein, including without limitation, statements regarding potential
mineralization and reserves, exploration results and future plans and
objectives of Western Copper Corp. are forward-looking statements that involve
various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements
will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Cautionary
Note to U.S.
Investors:
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission
permits U.S.
mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral
deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce.
We use certain terms on this news release, such as “measured,”
“indicated,” and “inferred” “resources,”
that the SEC guidelines strictly prohibit U.S. registered companies from
including in their filings with the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to
consider closely the disclosure in Western’s Form 20-F, File No.
000-52231, which may be secured from the Company, or from the SEC’s
website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.
CONTACTS
Chiara Orrigoni, Investor Relations & Corporate
Communications
Dale Corman, Chairman
& CEO
Phone: 604.684.9497
Email: info@westerncoppercorp.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chiara Orrigoni
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Western Copper
Corporation
P 604.638.2496
F 604.669.2926
E corrigoni@westerncoppercorp.com
www.westerncoppercorp.com