EPA Method 1312

Reed Resources Ltd were requested by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Western Australian Government (EPA) to demonstrate that the proposed disposal method for beneficiation tailings from the Barrambie Vanadium Project, Sandstone, WA would have a low probability of generating leachant liquors that would transport toxic heavy metals into the ground water systems in the tailings disposal area. Discussions with the EPA focused on the need to demonstrate the levels of metal and metalloid elements mobilised as a result of the leaching test.

Reed Resources completed a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) on their Barrambie Vanadium Project in 2009 and are in discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the approvals process. The Environmental Protection Agency requested leaching testwork on the project beneficiated tailings to establish if the proposed storage method was environmentally suitable.

Typical beneficiated tailings samples representing the strongly oxidised and weakly oxidised ore tailings were extracted from the DFS metallurgical testwork reserves and were demonstrated to be typical of the forecasted beneficiated tailings. The two samples were subject to an aggressive leaching process that simulates potential mine waste conditions at the independent SGS laboratory. The results of the leach liquor produced indicate that when compared to drinking and general use water standards the levels of soluble metal and metalloid elements is low. It is therefore concluded that the beneficiated tailings leach liquor is unlikely to represent a risk to the environmental.