Omya uses a small fraction – approximately 10% – of its land holdings to support our quarry and mineral processing operations.  The remaining acreage contributes to the scenic landscape while supporting Vermont’s heritage, tourism, rural economy, and recreational lifestyles.

Permit Applications

2008 Danby Groundwater Evaluation Well Test

During the summer of 2002, a groundwater pumping test was conducted in order to collect data to evaluate groundwater flow on Omya, Inc.’s property in Danby, Vermont. This document summarizes the data collected during the test, and the effects of the test on groundwater levels in the area.

Act 250 Permit Application (6.11.07)

On June 7, Omya submitted an application for an Act 250 permit amendment to the District 1 Environmental Commission. Act 250 is a state law governing land use and development. It was enacted to protect Vermont’s natural resources by evaluating projects under ten criteria reviewed initially by local District Environmental Commissions.

Omya’s permit application proposes the construction of an enclosed “Tailings Dewatering Facility” to remove water from the tailings produced by Omya’s plant in Florence. The footprint of the dewatering facility will be less than two acres, and is consistent with the plans put forward in Omya’s 2005 application to the State of Vermont for Interim Certification of its tailings management.

The proposed dewatering facility will improve overall operations by enhancing water recovery from the tailings product, which currently is conducted in open settling cells. Within a controlled environment of tanks and equipment, the facility will increase the removal of process water and recycle it back to the plant for re-use.

The new facility improves Omya’s ability to manage its tailings product, pursue the sale of the material, and strengthen the plant’s environmental performance. The overall project, at a cost of approximately $10 million, will reduce the water content of Omya’s tailings product, allow Omya to manage the tailings more efficiently, and recapture and reuse the water for its production process. Omya is seeking commercial uses of the tailings product that could lead to a reduced need to retain the material on-site.

Expanded view of the Act 250 Permit Application:

Correspondence Related to the Interim Certification Application

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