Save Cantal's Wetlands: Locals Rally Against Quarry Project Threatening Pristine Area

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The Nouvialle narse, an extraordinary wetland located in Cantal, faces a threat from a proposed quarry project. Defenders of this natural space organized a large celebration from August 29 to 31 to protest the project.

Valuéjols (Cantal), reportage

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« Don’t turn Cantal into Swiss cheese, keep diatomite out of the truffade ! » The people of Auvergne are known for their wit and vigor. Several thousand gathered from August 29 to 31 for the fifth celebration of the Nouvialle narse.

The narse is a designated wetland that spans over 400 hectares on a high plateau at the base of the Monts d’Auvergne in eastern Cantal. Here, the multinational company Imerys has considered developing a new quarry to extract diatomite, a rare sedimentary rock formed from decomposed algae, known for its highly absorbent properties. This rock is already mined nearby and processed into diatomaceous earth.

The battle to protect this land is as old as the quarry project itself. The Fishing Federation initiated the first protest in 1995, opposing the exploitation of this diatomite deposit, considered one of the purest in Europe.

However, it wasn’t until 2021 that the defense efforts for Nouvialle narse intensified with the looming submission of the quarry project… which has yet to occur. This delay has given activists a reprieve, allowing them to consolidate support over the past four years from local mayors, intercommunal councils, environmental groups (like the League for the Protection of Birds and France Nature Environment), as well as the chamber of Agriculture which opposes the destruction of land used by local farmers, and even more.

Most supporters are locals, like Nathanaëlle, « deeply connected to this land and its people ». She’s thrilled by the collective’s empowerment, « I learned how to screen print in just three weeks, and now I’m running the stand ».

A local folk band provides entertainment, making the event feel more like a self-managed festival than a protest. The Nouvialle collective even introduced a mascot, Nouvie, symbolizing the curlew, an iconic species of the wetland.

While enjoying the festival, the defenders of the wetland remain focused on the larger issues. The 2025 narse festival was an opportunity to invite national ecological figures, although not yet well-known locally.

Connections are also being forged with other movements against Imerys projects, like those in Dordogne at Thiviers, and in Allier, against a lithium mine project, which was visited on September 1 by the Minister of Industry and Energy, Marc Ferracci.

When asked by Decatur Metro about Nouvialle, the ministry’s office emphasized that « no project has been filed » yet, but reassured that they are attentive « to the strict compliance with existing regulations and high environmental standards », hoping « that a dialogue will be established to provide necessary answers ».

However, the Nouvialle collective « is no longer willing to wait », explains Manon, co-spokesperson. After a protest in Aurillac, the prefecture, last February, they gathered signatures from dozens of scientists and experts during the World Wetlands Day.

For Manon, the goal is to « make Nouvialle a symbol of wetlands worth defending ». Rather than negotiating the size of the quarry pit, the collective aims to shift the debate towards the uses of diatomite. They argue that existing deposits could sustain the demand for blood plasma filtration (5 % of production) for decades, if other commercial uses—such as cat litter, ultra-absorbent bath mats, and beer filtration—are discontinued.

Imerys, meanwhile, keeps its plans vague. Earlier in the year, it announced the acquisition of a new facility and with it, the Riom-ès-Montagnes factory, just fifteen kilometers from the existing diatomite processing site in Murat. Will Imerys maintain two industrial sites so close to each other ?

The future of about fifty employees at this company, deeply tied to the local history, remains uncertain. For Anthony, another spokesperson for the Nouvialle collective, « It’s not just about the birds or the workers. We know diatomite dust has health implications too. We’re fighting for the same cause. »

To persuade Imerys workers, the collective will soon present an alternative economic plan for Nouvialle, aiming to secure a future for all, living and non-living, who rely on the narse and beyond.