Johnson County Commissioners Approve Agreements on Elk Creek Mine Project

At their December 2 meeting, the Johnson County Commissioners approved four agreements related to the Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project being planned by NioCorp. Jennifer Stehlik-Ladman has been working on the county’s behalf to draft the agreements and reported that NioCorp and the Elk Creek Resources Corporation (ECRC) were very cooperative.
After some discussion of specific details of the road improvements that will be necessary, the commissioners approved the Road Design, Construction and Maintenance Agreement, the agreement with Olsson Associates for professional services for the project’s construction, a consultation agreement with Midwest Engineering, Inc. (MEI), and the Escrow Agreement for handling the funds which will pay for the construction project.
Stehlik-Ladman said that the design plan for the Critical Minerals Project had been submitted to the state and returned with suggested changes. Those changes had been made and the plans resubmitted. No delays were expected in getting the permits from the state. Cost for the project is estimated at $2,017,525.70.
The county is seeking the permits to save money and time and the county is contracting with Olsson Associates as the construction management firm. ECRC also agreed that the county could retain the consultation services of MEI at an estimated cost to ECRC or $47,250.
Stehlik-Ladman also informed the commissioners that the county will have to budget for the project because it is a county project, but the costs will all be reimbursed from the escrow account. The escrow account is not tied to the county’s budget but should be set up with ECRC’s tax ID number.
Olsson Associates are getting ready to go out for bids and the goal is to start work on the project in the first quarter of 2026, with a projected completion date of August 2026.