(Montreal) An alliance of five municipalities is organizing information sessions this summer to find out whether the population approves of a graphite mine project linked to the Pentagon.
Mining company Lomiko Metals plans to build a mine in the Laurentians region to extract minerals for use in electric vehicle batteries.
However, some residents are concerned about potential environmental damage and the fact that Lomiko received $11.4 million from the U.S. Department of Defense for the project.
David Pharand, mayor of Duhamel, in Outaouais, and spokesperson for the alliance, says that it is normally up to the company to see if a project is socially acceptable.
But not this time.
Mr. Pharand said the alliance wants to hold consultations in the coming months and then, by 2026, launch some sort of vote, possibly a referendum, to find out exactly what people think about the project.
Louis Saint-Hilaire, president of a local environmental group, says he doesn’t want an open-pit mine near lakes and homes.
Lomiko says the mine will create jobs and help Quebec achieve its strategic objectives for essential minerals.