OMYA foes plan summit June 3, 2002 By BRUCE EDWARDS Herald Staff A group opposed to OMYA’s plans to open a marble quarry in Danby is hosting a global summit this week that focuses on the problems other communities have encountered with the multinational industrial minerals company. “From France and Canada: International Portraits of A Global Mining Company” will be held Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m., at the Tinmouth Community Center. Sponsored by Vermonters for a Clean Environment, the event features presentations by OMYA opponents in Canada and France, where the company has met with stiff resistance to its expanding mining operations. “We’re bringing the various people together who have experience with OMYA to share our experience and information and to try to put what’s happening to all of us into perspective,” VCE Executive Director Annette Smith said Monday. VCE’s involvement with OMYA Inc. began more than two years ago when the company announced its intention to open a marble quarry on a 33-acre site in Danby. The proposed quarry immediately drew the opposition from VCE and Smith, who criticized the project as inappropriate for the town. VCE cited aesthetic, environmental and transportation problems with the project that would be built on a ridge above the town with views of the valley below. In addition to the opposition to its Danby project, OMYA has been stymied in its efforts to increase the number of trucks hauling marble ore from its Middlebury quarry to its calcium carbonate plant in Florence. The company has lost several court decisions that have upheld Act 250 limits on the company’s truck traffic on Route 7. (OMYA is also working with the state, the Conservation Law Foundation and Vermont Railway on a rail option.) In Canada, OMYA has run into opposition from environmental groups and others who have raised objections to the withdrawal of large amounts of river water to produce slurry at its plant in Perth, Ontario. In the south of France, the village of Vingrau lost a 10-year battle to stop OMYA from building a quarry and crushing plant on a plateau overlooking the village that relies on winemaking and tourism for its livelihood. In Canada and France, OMYA officials have argued they have taken steps to mitigate the impact of their projects. The conference Thursday features one-hour presentations each by French and Canadian representatives, followed by a one-hour discussion and question-and-answer session. Among those making presentations at the conference will be Vingrau Deputy Mayor Renaud Chastagnol and Michael Cassidy, a former member of the Canadian Parliament. Smith said OMYA officials are free to attend the conference, but are not part of the presentation. “We have a limited amount of time and people are traveling long distances, and we are going to have a real challenge getting in the two different experiences of both the French and Canadians as it stands,” she said. “OMYA has a whole PR firm from Washington, D.C., that does a fine job putting their position out.” OMYA Executive Vice President James Reddy said the company would not attend the conference. “I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to attend,” he said. Reddy did say he found it odd that Smith would host such a one-sided conference after she attended a business forum last year in Rutland on the need to work together on issues like development that have divided the community. “It seemed a strange forum for someone to be hosting that purportedly was also working to find common ground,” Reddy said. Based in Oftringen, Switzerland, OMYA is the world’s largest producer of calcium carbonate, a mineral used as a filler or extender material in the paint, paper, plastics, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries. The VCE event is open to the public, but tickets are required because seating is limited to 300 in the Tinmouth Community Center, Smith said. Tickets can be reserved by calling VCE at 446-2094 or e-mail vce@vermontel.net. Contact Bruce Edwards at bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com

Rutland Herald

OMYA foes plan summit

June 3, 2002
By BRUCE EDWARDS Herald Staff

A group opposed to OMYA’s plans to open a marble quarry in Danby is hosting a global summit this week that focuses on the problems other communities have encountered with the multinational industrial minerals company.

“From France and Canada: International Portraits of A Global Mining Company” will be held Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m., at the Tinmouth Community Center.

Sponsored by Vermonters for a Clean Environment, the event features presentations by OMYA opponents in Canada and France, where the company has met with stiff resistance to its expanding mining operations.

“We’re bringing the various people together who have experience with OMYA to share our experience and information and to try to put what’s happening to all of us into perspective,” VCE Executive Director Annette Smith said Monday.

VCE’s involvement with OMYA Inc. began more than two years ago when the company announced its intention to open a marble quarry on a 33-acre site in Danby.

The proposed quarry immediately drew the opposition from VCE and Smith, who criticized the project as inappropriate for the town. VCE cited aesthetic, environmental and transportation problems with the project that would be built on a ridge above the town with views of the valley below.

In addition to the opposition to its Danby project, OMYA has been stymied in its efforts to increase the number of trucks hauling marble ore from its Middlebury quarry to its calcium carbonate plant in Florence. The company has lost several court decisions that have upheld Act 250 limits on the company’s truck traffic on Route 7. (OMYA is also working with the state, the Conservation Law Foundation and Vermont Railway on a rail option.)

In Canada, OMYA has run into opposition from environmental groups and others who have raised objections to the withdrawal of large amounts of river water to produce slurry at its plant in Perth, Ontario.

In the south of France, the village of Vingrau lost a 10-year battle to stop OMYA from building a quarry and crushing plant on a plateau overlooking the village that relies on winemaking and tourism for its livelihood.

In Canada and France, OMYA officials have argued they have taken steps to mitigate the impact of their projects.

The conference Thursday features one-hour presentations each by French and Canadian representatives, followed by a one-hour discussion and question-and-answer session.

Among those making presentations at the conference will be Vingrau Deputy Mayor Renaud Chastagnol and Michael Cassidy, a former member of the Canadian Parliament.

Smith said OMYA officials are free to attend the conference, but are not part of the presentation.

“We have a limited amount of time and people are traveling long distances, and we are going to have a real challenge getting in the two different experiences of both the French and Canadians as it stands,” she said. “OMYA has a whole PR firm from Washington, D.C., that does a fine job putting their position out.”

OMYA Executive Vice President James Reddy said the company would not attend the conference.

“I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to attend,” he said.

Reddy did say he found it odd that Smith would host such a one-sided conference after she attended a business forum last year in Rutland on the need to work together on issues like development that have divided the community.

“It seemed a strange forum for someone to be hosting that purportedly was also working to find common ground,” Reddy said.

Based in Oftringen, Switzerland, OMYA is the world’s largest producer of calcium carbonate, a mineral used as a filler or extender material in the paint, paper, plastics, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries.

The VCE event is open to the public, but tickets are required because seating is limited to 300 in the Tinmouth Community Center, Smith said.

Tickets can be reserved by calling VCE at 446-2094 or e-mail vce@vermontel.net.

Contact Bruce Edwards at bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com