A lively debate. Tuesday March 12, 2024, a public debate has been opened on the subject of the exploitation of a lithium mine, in Échassières in Allier by 2028. This debate opposes the defenders of this project which could allow France to no longer depend on China for lithium and environmental protectors who fear serious consequences for nature. This mining project, entitled Emili, was announced in 2022 by the Imerys group, specializing in the exploitation of mining resources. According to the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, this project is more ecological than opponents claim : “This project, exemplary in environmental and climatic terms, will drastically reduce our lithium import needs“, he assured, according to comments reported by our colleagues at BFMTV, Thursday March 14, 2024. For its part, Imerys wants to see in this mine a real opportunity to change the situation on matters of independence for France : “We are lucky to have this deposit here which is under a quarry already in operation, which reduces the associated impact. We chose an underground mine to minimize the impacts“, declared Alan Parte, vice-president and director of lithium projects of the company. Indeed, this mining project would be established below a site of exploitation of kaolin, a white clay.
Pollution that could be avoided?
But from the side of environmental defenders, these arguments seem insufficient. The fear particularly concerns the impact that such an industry could have on water. “The rock will be crushed like flour, all this will concentrate the metals that are in it, it will be washed with water and everything that they do not need will go back into nature. There will be water infiltration everywhere, and this water will end up in streams, groundwater and springs around“, assures Xavier Thabarant, member of the Preserve the Colettes forest association. For his part, Jacques Morisot from the same collective fears a “threat to water resources, a risk to biodiversity, health, chemical pollution, doubt about post-mining…”, did he list with FranceinfoMarch 14. The members of the collective are particularly concerned that heavy metals will spread into the soil while the factory will be located not far from the Colettes forest, which is an area rich in natural and underground water sources. An argument faced by Fabrice Rebourg, director of studies on this issue, assures that lithium mining should consume a small percentage of water. Furthermore, factories commit to recycling 90% of water. “This is a subject on which we have focused all our attention, in particular to optimize recycling loops to have from this point of view, on the water subject, a project that is as virtuous as possible..”, assures the director of studies.