Luzenac: has a criminal act targeted the talc quarry?
La Dépêche du Midi, June 5, 2025

Has the Trimouns quarry, one of the world’s largest talc operations, been the target of an act of vandalism? Situated at an altitude of over 1,500 meters, this strategic site alone accounts for almost 10% of the world’s production, with 400,000 tons extracted every year. A fire of suspicious origin recently damaged essential installations, without however interrupting operations.

At around 5 a.m. on Monday May 12, teams from Imerys, the multinational in charge of operations, discovered the damage. The installations upstream of the cable car had been hit by a fire, causing extensive material damage. “Initial observations reveal that the conveyor belts and electrical system have been severely damaged,” confirms a company spokesperson. No casualties were reported, but according to several sources, the cost of repairs would exceed half a million euros. The group declined to comment on this estimate.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial CCTV images support the theory that it was a premeditated act. An unidentified person is believed to have entered the site on Saturday night. “According to the recordings, the fire broke out at around 2 a.m., before spreading to the facilities. It extinguished itself before 8 a.m. on Sunday”, says the same spokesperson.

No demands have yet been made, but some are considering radical environmental activists. “I only have my suspicions, but they’re probably opponents of talc mining in the region”, says a resident of Luzenac.

Last year, Imerys was singled out by the authorities. In July 2024, the company had signed a public interest judicial agreement following the occasional presence of talc in certain waterways, identified by the OFB. It agreed to pay 90,000 euros to the Treasury and 80,000 euros in damages to three associations, as well as to carry out work worth three million euros. It is also required to submit to inspections by the DREAL for a period of three years.

No forced outage, but an emergency plan

Despite the extent of the damage, production was maintained thanks to available stocks. “There was no recourse to a forced outage”, assures Imerys. To compensate for the temporary unavailability of the cable car, the company requested authorization to use road convoys. A meeting was held at the town hall to organize the logistics. “Crossing Luzenac is not easy. The trucks will take the Unac road, then the stadium road, bypassing the schools, to reach the storage site”, explains Christian Loubet, the town’s mayor. The mayor is very concerned: “They don’t realize the economic impact this could have. Without the site, there’d be nothing but misery. It’s the main economic activity in the upper Ariège. It’s a serious matter to attack the only factory in the area, which employs countless people.”

Restoration work has already begun. Normal resumption of cable car transport is scheduled for June.

Imerys Talc Luzenac in figures

– 5th largest industrial company in Ariège – Among the top 130 in the Occitanie region
– 60% of Imerys’ European talc production
– 40% of European needs
– 10% of the global talc market
– Main markets: polymers, paints and coatings, agriculture
– Luzenac site: 220 permanent employees
– Trimouns quarry: the largest active talc quarry in the world

via: sansnom
Translated by Act for freedom now!