Five Quebec municipalities located by a proposed site for a graphite mine with ties to the Pentagon have created an alliance to accelerate public consultations on the project and pressure the provincial government to listen to what locals have to say.

When Lomiko Metals Inc., a mining company based in Surrey, B.C., announced plans for a mine in Quebec害羞草研究所檚 Laurentians region to produce graphite 害羞草研究所� one of the world害羞草研究所檚 most sought after critical minerals needed for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries 害羞草研究所� some residents living nearby began protesting the project, fearing the potential harm to the environment.

They got even more upset when they learned that Lomiko received $11.4 million from the United States Department of Defence for the project.

Since then, municipalities near the proposed mine site 害羞草研究所� Duhamel, Lac-Simon, Ch茅n茅ville, St-脡mile-de-Suffolk and Lac-des-Plages 害羞草研究所� have decided to take charge of informing the public.

Usually companies that want to build major projects have the responsibility to hold public consultations and ensure a level of 害羞草研究所渟ocial acceptability,害羞草研究所� says Duhamel Mayor David Pharand, spokesperson of the alliance.

But not this time. Pharand said the alliance wants to hold consultations over the next few months and then, by 2026, launch a type of vote, possibly a referendum, to find out exactly what people think of the project. However, Pharand says, the provincial government must agree that a referendum or other type of process to gather public opinion is a legitimate way to reflect the project害羞草研究所檚 social acceptability.

Rodrigue Turgeon, national program co-lead at Mining Watch Canada, says the level of engagement from the communities so early in the process is 害羞草研究所渦nusual害羞草研究所� in the country, calling it a 害羞草研究所渢rue example to be followed by other municipalities.害羞草研究所�

Turgeon, who also practices environmental and mining law, says a referendum would be 害羞草研究所渦nprecedented害羞草研究所� for Quebec, though common in Latin America.

Louis Saint-Hilaire, president of a local environmental group, will attend the first public information session on July 21 as one of the speakers opposing the mine.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 want to have a gigantic open pit mine in the middle of all those lakes and all those people living around them,害羞草研究所� he said, insisting that few locals support the project, especially after Lomiko announced in May it received a grant of $11.4 million from the Pentagon.

害羞草研究所淧eople are furious about this,害羞草研究所� he said.

The Pentagon has said Lomiko害羞草研究所檚 graphite will bolster North American energy supply chains and be used for 害羞草研究所渄efence applications.害羞草研究所�

Lomiko has said it will be conducting feasibility and metallurgical studies over the next five years and will be subject to a review by Quebec害羞草研究所檚 environment consultations office, known as the BAPE. It says it plans to begin construction by 2027.

Graphite is a key mineral for manufacturing military equipment. A 2023 report by The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, a defence and security think tank based in the Netherlands, lists graphite as a critical mineral whose supply chain is under threat. The report said European militaries need graphite for fighter aircraft, battle tanks, submarines, artillery and ammunition.

In a statement, Lomiko chief sustainability officer Cindy Valence told The Canadian Press that the company has already met with 害羞草研究所渁 multitude of stakeholders害羞草研究所� and will 害羞草研究所渇ollow all government processes as a responsible operator in the critical minerals sector.害羞草研究所�

The company will continue to share the results of water quality testing with the community and seek local feedback on other issues including road access, according to Valence, who added that the mine will create jobs and help Quebec meet its critical minerals strategy objectives.

The office of Quebec Minister of Natural Resources Ma茂t茅 Blanchette V茅zina said, 害羞草研究所渋t is important that the mining projects that go forward in Quebec generate social acceptability in the communities concerned.害羞草研究所�

In a separate statement, the Natural Resources Department said it requires companies seeking mining leases to receive authorization under Quebec害羞草研究所檚 Environment Quality Act, a process that generally involves consulting the BAPE. 害羞草研究所淭o ensure that a mining project integrates into its host environment, developers are strongly encouraged to set up mechanisms for dialogue with communities very early on in the development of their project,害羞草研究所� the department said.

However, Turgeon says it can take years for the BAPE to make an impact assessment, long after mining companies have begun promising jobs and centering the debate on economic development at the expense of environmental considerations.

Furthermore, what defines social acceptability remains murky. 害羞草研究所淭here are no specific guidelines in the (Quebec) Mining Act, nor in any other laws in Quebec at the moment to define social acceptability,害羞草研究所� said Turgeon.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press