Meta Critical Minerals Commences Environmental Baseline Studies at Table Mountain Silica Project, BC

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2026 / Meta Critical Minerals Inc. (formerly Troy Minerals Inc.) (the "Company" or "Meta") (CSE:MTTA)(OTCQB:MTTAF)(FSE:VJ3) reports that it has engaged Greenwood Environmental Inc. ("Greenwood") to execute environmental baseline studies to advance the Company's 100% owned Table Mountain silica project in British Columbia.

Table Mountain is a high-purity quartz (HPQ) silica project with a significant mineral resource. The project's close proximity to bulk materials infrastructure (both rail and highway) and the town of Golden, British Columbia, a town along the main East-West Canadian transportation corridor, represents a unique strategic advantage. In 2025, the Company announced the filing of a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate of 56,945,602 tonnes Inferred at an average grade of 98.91% SiO₂, with very low levels of impurities (NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Table Mountain Project dated August 12, 2025).

Greenwood Environmental is an experienced Vancouver-based consulting firm specializing in environmental studies, mine permitting and environmental assessment. Greenwood provides integrated permitting support from early exploration through to closure and care and maintenance. Its core expertise is in guiding major British Columbia mining projects through complex permitting processes under the Mines Act, Environmental Management Act, Water Sustainability Act, and related provincial and federal frameworks. Greenwood has led or supported permitting and environmental assessment for several major BC projects, including Mt. Milligan, Red Chris Mine, Kitsault Mine, as well as Schaft Creek, and recently led the Permitting Due Diligence for Glencore during the Acquisition of Teck Coal and water regulatory strategy support to Galore Creek Mining Company.

"We are delighted because this month we are commencing important environmental studies at Table Mountain, and in addition, because such an experienced group like Greenwood, will work hand-in-hand with our people and third parties to achieve our Table Mountain objectives in relation to our environmental footprint and obligations." said Yannis Tsitos, President of Meta. "At this stage, the engagement with Greenwood is intended to support our high-purity quartz silica project with implementation of Phase I environmental baseline programs as outlined below."

The following programs are planned to commence in May 2026 through the rest of the year and beyond. Greenwood has detailed the scope and activities for covering the following tasks (all including relevant fieldwork):

• Continuous hydrometric flow monitoring

• Surface water and groundwater quality sampling, including eight monthly surface water campaigns to December 2026

• Fish Barrier Assessment on tributaries of the Kick Horse River near the project area

• Wildlife Overview Assessment for the project area

• Vegetation Assessment for the project area

• Terrain Classification including GIS based slope mapping assessment

• Road Access Assessment including potential new access routes

• Weather Station installation and relevant meteorological data gathering

Additionally, Greenwood has experience in providing strategic guidance on water management mitigation planning to ensure that mine planning supports both the BC environmental assessment process and future permitting needs. This includes a comprehensive understanding of permitting under the Environmental Management Act for mining operations. Their team builds an in-depth understanding of project-specific permitting risks, corporate governance processes, and internal review pathways, which positions them to contribute meaningfully to the next stage of planning and strategy development. These insights will enable Greenwood and the Company to identify opportunities, constraints, and lessons learned from previous permitting efforts, ultimately helping define an efficient and defensible roadmap for future stages of the project.

Engagement of Market Maker

The Company also announces that it has engaged the services of Independent Trading Group ("ITG") to provide market-making services in accordance with Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") policies. ITG will trade shares of the Company on the CSE and all other trading venues with the objective of maintaining a reasonable market and improving the liquidity of the Company's common shares.

The agreement is for an initial term of one month and will renew for additional one-month terms unless terminated. The agreement may be terminated by either party with 30 days' notice. There are no performance factors contained in the agreement and ITG will not receive shares or options as compensation. ITG and the Company are unrelated and unaffiliated entities and at the time of the agreement, neither ITG nor its principals have an interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of the Company.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Rana Vig | CEO and Director
Telephone: 604-218-4766
rana@meta-cm.com

About Independent Trading Group

Independent Trading Group (ITG) Inc. is a Toronto based CIRO dealer-member that specializes in market making, liquidity provision, agency execution, ultra-low latency connectivity, and bespoke algorithmic trading solutions. Established in 1992, with a focus on market structure, execution and trading, ITG has leveraged its own proprietary technology to deliver high quality liquidity provision and execution services to a broad array of public issuers and institutional investors.

About Meta Critical Minerals Inc.

Meta Critical Minerals Inc. is a well-funded, publicly listed mining company focused on building shareholder value through the acquisition, exploration, and development of strategically located critical-mineral assets. The Company is advancing a portfolio of projects targeting silica (silicon), zircon (zirconium), titanium, scandium, vanadium, and rare earth elements, commodities that are essential to advanced manufacturing, defense systems, green power generation and electrification, and emerging technologies. Meta's assets are located in jurisdictions characterized by strong and growing demand for critical minerals, spanning Canada, U.S.A. and Central-East Asia. The Company's strategy emphasizes near-term production potential, disciplined capital allocation, and the development of assets capable of supporting a transition to cash-flow-generating operations, with the objective of delivering sustainable long-term value to shareholders, host communities, and regional stakeholders.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the commencement, scope, timing, and completion of environmental baseline studies at the Table Mountain silica project; the Company's ability to advance the Table Mountain project toward future development, permitting, and production decisions; the anticipated benefits of the engagement of Greenwood Environmental Inc.; the completion and results of hydrological, environmental, wildlife, vegetation, terrain, road access, and meteorological studies; the identification and management of permitting risks and opportunities; the potential strategic advantages of the Table Mountain project; future demand for silica and other critical minerals; and the anticipated benefits of the market-making services agreement with Independent Trading Group Inc., including improved liquidity and market stability for the Company's common shares.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions, including, but not limited to: the Company's ability to execute its planned exploration and development programs; the availability of financing, equipment, and personnel; the accuracy of mineral resource estimates; the continuation of favorable market conditions for critical minerals; the ability of Greenwood Environmental Inc. and other contractors to perform services as anticipated; the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and permits; and general economic, market, and business conditions.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: risks related to exploration and development activities; environmental and permitting risks; regulatory and governmental risks; changes in commodity prices and market conditions; operational and technical difficulties; delays in obtaining permits or approvals; risks related to the interpretation of geological data and mineral resource estimates; the inability to secure financing on acceptable terms or at all; contractor and service provider performance; and general economic, market, or industry conditions.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE: Meta Critical Minerals Inc.