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US quartz mining has begun again

by on14 October 2024


After being shut down by Hurricane Helene

The US IT supply chain breathed a sigh of relief as one of the two companies that manufacture high-purity quartz used for making semiconductors and other high-tech products from mines in a western North Carolina community severely damaged by Hurricane Helene is operating again.

 Sibelco announced that production has restarted at its mining and processing operations in Spruce Pine, located 80 kilometres northeast of Asheville

The company said in a news release that production and shipments are progressively ramping up to total capacity.

The hurricane showed that US semiconductor production depended on a single road connecting Spruce Pine to civilisation. After the storm, this road was blocked, leaving the town isolated.

 Sibelco CEO Hilmar Rode said: "While the road to full recovery for our communities will be long, restarting our operations and resuming shipments to customers are important contributors to rebuilding the local economy.”

 A Spruce Pine council member recently said that an estimated three-quarters of the town has a direct connection to the mines, whether through a job, a job that relies on the mines, or a family member who works at the facilities.

Sibelco, with support from its contractors, has been contributing to the local recovery efforts by clearing debris, repairing roads, providing road-building materials to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, installing temporary power generators for emergency shelters and local businesses, and

Last modified on 14 October 2024
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