JDI cited the need for a gypsum quarry, based on Nova Scotia and Colson Cove no longer being viable options- what about the new Flat Bay Mine in NFLD? They claim to have several million tonnes of gypsum and are currently looking for buyers. The gypsum could then be shipped or barged directly into Saint John. Why is this not a viable option? Has it even been considered? How much research, effort, core sampling etc. has been put into gypsum exploration elsewhere in the Province, by the company, to find a deposit that is not so close to a main watercourse (ie: the Hammond)? Is the Upham area the ONLY area in the Province to have a gypsum deposit? Or is it simply the most economical, given its relative proximity to the wallboard plant? Are there no other options in the entire Province, that gypsum may be quarried, AWAY from a main watercourse?
In the past 6 months, Atlantic Wallboard has been in contact with the CEO of Red Moon Resources (Flat Bay Mine). They are not producing wallboard quality gypsum and are shipping solely to the cement industry. They are also not currently capable of shipping the volume of rock required to run the wallboard plant in Saint John.
Additionally, there are a few areas of the Province that are known to have gypsum deposits. However, their quality and properties, and the ability to extract the resource, are unknown to Hammond River Holdings. The viability of a deposit is directly linked to a combination of several factors that include: mineral claim ownership, quality, technical ability for ease of efficient extraction, transportation, and proximity to the wallboard plant in Saint John.