EWK Earthworks Industries Inc

TSX-V: EWK

VANCOUVER, BC, May 2, 2024 /CNW/ - Earthworks Industries Inc. (the "Company") wishes to provide this update on the status of the development of its integrated waste handling project at the Cortina Rancheria in Colusa County, California. The project is being developed by the Company's wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, Cortina Integrated Waste Management Inc. (CIWM).

With federal approval, CIWM holds a lease of 443 acres of the Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation's Cortina Rancheria for the development of an integrated waste handling operation, which includes a material recovery system, composting, contaminated soil, and landfill operations.

The Company previously reported that it has been waiting for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9, to complete its review for tentative approval of the remaining Site-Specific Flexibility Requests (SSFRs) pursuant to EPA's Draft Guidance for municipal waste landfills in Indian Country.

In a letter dated August 10, 2023, EPA advised the Company that the comprehensive report would be forwarded by year-end 2023 and acknowledged our patience. When the year ended and no report was received, the Company inquired again as to status and delay, and in January was advised by EPA that it would be ready by quarter end (March 2024). When the March deadline passed an inquiry was made once again. In the first week of April 2024, EPA apologized for the delay, and advised that the report was being routed through management for signature.

On April 30^th the Company contacted EPA about the continued delay and asked that a deadline be set by which date EPA staff will sign and deliver the comprehensive response, as promised, and that EPA inform us of that deadline so that we may rely on it in scheduling essential time-sensitive project activities.

When the report is received from EPA an outline scheduling for our next steps moving forward will be made.

In anticipation of the report, the Company took the opportunity to move forward on other fronts. In January 2024, Global One Media was retained to rebrand the Company's website and initiate a media campaign establishing a presence for EWK on several social media platforms for moving forward. The media campaign was initiated based on the significant interest expressed in EWK over the past year.

In February 2024, EWK was recognized as one of the TSXV Top 50 companies for 2023. This further brought the company attention from both private and institutional investors.

Mr. David Atkinson commented on the increased attention the company has received during an interview for the TSXV 50 Awards stating: "I was asked what the one thing was that triggered the most interest in the Company over the past year. I explained that it was not just the project at Cortina, but even more broadly, it is about what we had accomplished with that project creating a whole new standard of regulations for waste handling based on state of California, Tribal and U.S. federal regulations and whether this is something we planned to continue to do elsewhere."

The Company continues to work enthusiastically in collaboration with both the federal and Tribal agencies in completing the current stage of approval at Cortina and the precedent-setting development it represents.

The news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively 'forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities regulations. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statements that involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objective assumptions, future events or performance  (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company or CIWM to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the "Risks and Uncertainties Statement" attached to this news release. Forward- looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release. The Company will update these forward-looking statement and Risks and Uncertainties as a result of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release.

SOURCE Earthworks Industries Inc.