In this game, first and foremost is to get the geology, mining...

In this game, first and foremost is to get the geology, mining and processing right. Everything else is consequential. If there is a clear winner in terms of process route (and mining for that matter), the correct management decision is to back the winning technical solution. It is not to back the sub-optimal route because it is easier and quicker to implement. If the best processing route, gives the better financial outcome, then it needs to be progressed regardless of whether it takes longer or costs more. Investors who bought into PEN on the alkaline studies, promises and marketing must be pissed to know that, according to you, there is apparently enough time and money to design the plant twice, but not enough time to do it right the first time.

Talking about funding - I wonder how PEN's main backers feel about backing a technical dud. They to must be pissed; with PEN and with themselves.    

New mining infrastructure is a necessity for any process plant - acid or alkaline. This isn't a "win" for alkaline phish. Similarly with the permits. With regards to "getting" Wayne. Surely it would have been a lot cheaper to hire/poach Wayne as a normal course of business, following successful commissioning and ramp-up of the acid processing plant (hypothetically speaking of course), rather than build a plant cheaply and quickly, have it fail, and then hire a consultant (Wayne) to assist with it's fix up (potential fix up).

With regards to the $19M "free", I assume you mean the monetisation of 935k lbs of U3O8. Mate, the revenue potential of that 935k lbs was nearly $51.5M. PEN these lbs for $19M for a loss of $32.5M (TVM not considered). $32.5M of revenue evaporated into thin air, just to stay afloat, because of a poorly performing plant, which according to you needed to be rushed into production because the "Uranium sector was finding it hard to get funding". And you define this as free? I define it as bending over the barrel.