The Commission de protection du territoire agricole de Québec (CPTAQ) will be hosting a virtual meeting on Zoom to render a decision on Canada Carbon’s application to establish a graphite mine in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge.
The meeting will take place at 8:45 a.m. on December 18 and continue throughout the day as part of the saga which began in 2016.
Even with assurances coming from the CEO of Canada Carbon, Ellerton Castor, the Miller Graphite Project has continuously faced resistance from residents of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, the municipal council, the CPTAQ, multiple independent commissioned experts, and local summer camp for children Le Camp Amy Molson.
Castor has previously argued for the potential economic benefit to the community, should the mining operation be approved. Council, residents and independent contractors, however, argue that the environmental impacts far outweigh any local economic generation.
“The municipality will continue to exercise its role to protect the interests of its citizens and their environment,” Mayor Tom Arnold said.
Multiple maple farms surround the proposed Miller Graphite Project area, where the fear lies with losing acres of maple syrup-producing forestry.
Studies conducted by Eau Secours, an organization that aims to identify and present the risks related to water in various industrial sectors in Québec, concluded that “the project, if authorized, would also include the total cutting of a maple grove located on the lots covered by the application.”
Previous claims by Canada Carbon have stated that there were no maple groves near the proposed site. A report conducted by L’Association communautaire du Lac McGillivray and other contributors found that there are at least six producers that operate commercially in the territory.
The report by Eau Secours also explains that Canada Carbon is practicing deplorable techniques, including a previous $96 million lawsuit filed against Grenville-sur-la-Rouge that was settled out of court. Therefore, they state that Canada Carbon “does not reflect a desire to establish a constructive, transparent and open dialogue with the population most directly affected by the mining project it proposes.”
Representatives from Le Camp Amy Molson, situated just outside of the proposed site, argue that the Miller Graphite Project presents serious risks to environmental enjoyment for its more than 500 children who attend camp during the summer months.
“We do not want to abandon the responsibility for cleanliness and sanctity of our environment – a second home for many in our community – in the hands of mining developers who, by definition, have mining and profitability as principles fundamental to their existence,” Camp Amy Molson Executive Director Shauna Joyce commented.
The main purpose of the proposed Miller Graphite Project is to extract graphite for use in nuclear reactors. As the demand for electricity increases, nuclear energy has frequently been turned to as an alternative to coal-burning electricity generation.
Interested individuals are welcome to attend the virtual Zoom hearing by using https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88545632650?pwd=9oKv3Z3ib5TVtCARE2CJLm658Nbeai.1 with the login code 885 4563 2650 and password 313669.
