Economie. Progress continues on a project to use asbestos waste in the manufacture of agricultural fertilizers at the former Kari mine site. This meaning could be announced in the coming weeks.

The Mayor of Tring Junction, Mario Grollo, also hopes that the project will materialize in the near future. “It is going well. The promoters are working hard to get all the necessary licenses and the green light to move forward.”

The idea is KSM Corporation, based in Thetford that has been working on such operations for several years. “We have five patents protecting our process, so we’ve done several pilot phases in the last year, the phase between lab tests and the actual factory,” explains company president David Lemieux.

It continues to work with its partners and a feasibility study was completed in the fall of 2021. In all of its approaches, environment is one of the issues the company must address. “Asbestos residue is not the main input used in the manufacture of fertilizers, but rather the potash that comes from Saskatchewan. For mine tailings, we were involved in BAPE work in 2020 and are using recommendations issued at the time. There are also comparisons that are already in place and we work with the best engineering companies” , explains Mr. Lemieux.

He adds that the process the company uses to manufacture its products will be much less energy-intensive than the traditional method of producing these fertilizers and that the company comes at a good time, because food independence is part of the discourse. “We will produce 70% less greenhouse gases compared to other methods. The product is already used in Quebec, particularly in vegetable crops such as potatoes, tomatoes or berries in general. However, 100% of the fertilizer is currently imported and we will be the first Canadian and Quebec exporter to introduce it here” .

The project fits perfectly with the return of the train to the area, says Mr Lemieux, who is happy to see the progress of the file with the recent dismantling of the railway bridge in Vallée-Jonction. “Without the train, a project like us would not have been possible. Transportation cost is very important in our business plan. We hope to be a good customer when it is on duty.”

The project is likely to become a major employer in the area as well, but the company cannot determine that at the moment. “We’re still evaluating all of this, but things can be announced by summer, hopefully.”