A public hearing is planned today on the exploitation of zircon in the Niayes area which will be led by elected officials and civil society structures to assess the possible benefits of this mine operated by Gco.
Is a storm brewing for Eramet Grande Côte (formerly Gco)? This Saturday morning, an important public hearing is being held at the Diokoul Diawrigne Town Hall, located in the Tivaouane department, on the theme: “The exploitation of zircon in the Niayes area by the Gco company of the Eramet Group. » With the target audience being all those impacted or potentially impacted directly and indirectly by the exploitation of zircon in the different municipalities of the Niayes area. Several actors will take part in the meeting, including parliamentarians such as Guy Marius Sagna, Abdoulahat Ndiaye, Samba Diouf and Abdou Sonko, members of civil society and journalists.
The questions that will be addressed will revolve around the exploitation of zircon, normative and regulatory provisions, the social, economic and environmental consequences caused by the exploitation of zircon, its impact on communities and municipalities, among others.
1034 ha of rehabilitated land returned to the State, according to Gco
This day is being held after Gco announced the return of land to the State, after exploitation and rehabilitation. This reconstruction would be a rare activity in the history of mining in the Diogo area. A great first achieved by Eramet Grande Côte (formerly Gco), which is active in the exploitation of mineralized sand, in an area straddling the regions of Thiès and Louga. By restoring to the authorities 85 hectares of re-vegetated land, on September 8, 2022, while respecting the preservation of the environment and biodiversity. Another 554 hectares rehabilitated were then used to set up an infrastructure called “Oasis of Senegal”, to house the tourist sites impacted by the progression of the mine. In January 2025, the return to the State of 395 ha of land rehabilitated after exploitation is planned. A total of 1034 ha announced by the company.
During a recent working visit to the operating sites, the Governor of the Thiès region, Saër Ndao, said he noted that many difficulties had been reported in relation to the management of the communities, hence his visit to the premises, to better appreciate the nature of the problems raised, linked to daily management in relation especially to the commitments made, for a better living environment, and also to see the solutions to be proposed to improve the development of the company. The head of the regional Executive recognizes that Gco has made “enormous progress in achieving these commitments”, even if, he says, there are still “things to be completed”.
Furthermore, the Vcn social campus of Iba Der Thiam University (Uidt) in Thiès has just launched a modern basketball court. It is to compensate for its lack of sports infrastructure that the Regional Center for University and Social Works of Thiès (Crous-T) thought it necessary to resort to the social works of its partners. A call which had a favorable response from the mining company Eramet Grande Côte (formerly Gco). The mining company, which holds a seat on the Crous-T Board of Directors, offered a basketball court to the Iba Der Thiam University (Uidt) of Thiès, which calls for partnerships to fill the lack of sports infrastructure.
For CEO Frédéric Zanklan, the project carried out within the framework of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) follows a long-term partnership between the mining company and the Uidt. It arises from a need expressed by students to have a framework allowing them to practice sport, outside of educational activities. The director of Crous-Thiès, Cheikh Mbacké Lô, magnified the gesture during the inauguration ceremony of the infrastructure. “This installation is the first sports infrastructure since the creation of Crous-T six years ago,” notes Mr. Lô. He notes that the current football field on campus remains unsuitable for optimal practice, hence the need for increased support to improve the sporting conditions of students. The students welcomed “this gesture of very high significance”, before formulating another grievance linked to a modern football field.
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