Concerns raised at meeting for proposed silica quarry
There was no shortage of questions last night as hundreds of people attended a meeting regarding a proposed silica mine south of La Ronge.
The event took place at the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre and included a short presentation by Garcia Silica Incorporated staff, before attendees were given the chance to ask CEO Camilo Garcia some questions. People had concerns about many aspects of the project, and one of the first questions came from a woman who lives near the site and wanted to know if her family would be safe.
“I don’t want to lose my home,” she told Garcia. “I don’t want the river behind my house to be polluted.”
He responded by telling her the reason his mineral claim was so extensive because he doesn’t want another company setting up a similar operation nearby and competing with them. Garcia said the water used to extract the silica will be reused “again and again” in a continuous cycle. He also suggested her lot would be a good place to open a store.