But opposition has only gained steam after locals found out last month that the Pentagon is involved in the project. In its own announcement, the Pentagon said Lomiko's graphite will bolster North American energy supply chains and be used for "defence applications," words that make Duhamel resident Louis Saint-Hilaire uneasy. Claude Bouffard, co-ordinator of a separate environment group, the Association pour la protection et l'environnement du Lac-des-Plages, says he isn't necessarily against graphite mining, but he says his community hasn't given its consent for Lomiko's project. In 2022 Canada was ranked sixth, mining about one per cent of global production; China was at 66 per cent, according to Natural Resources Canada. As well, she said, residents also fear being displaced themselves when land is cleared for mines.
