UNION — Under a cold winter sky, protesters convened Saturday, Feb. 25, in a field at Pour Farm in Union, approximately three miles from the land where Canadian company Exiro Minerals, is hoping to conduct metal mining explorations. That would entail air surveys, soil borings and samplings.

Plans were discussed at an initial meeting Feb. 15 at a Union Select Board meeting, and again Feb. 16, in Warren with that town’s select board. Owners and employees of Exiro spoke before citizens of the towns, and at both meetings, skepticism ran high amongst local citizens, who cited water quality concerns and environmental degradation.

On February 20, the Board of Directors of the Crawford Lake Association formed an advocacy team, Citizens Against Residential Mining Activity (CARMA), to investigate and oppose residential metal mining and mining exploration in Union and Warren.

“CARMA consists of six representatives, three in Union and three in Warren, who have legal, communications, fundraising and business expertise to combat irresponsible mining and exploration proposed by Exiro in and around Crawford Pond, which threatens a substantial portion of the Georges River watershed, the underlying aquifers and, as a result, the drinking water,” said a press release from CARMA.

“As a collection of residential communities and interconnected waterways and wetlands, Warren, Union, and the other towns in the watershed are at significant risk of irreversible environmental degradation and contamination,” the lake association’s advocacy team said.

The Feb. 25 protest took place at The Pour Farm, home to a brewery owned by Bill Stinson, who is also involved with CARMA. He said the protest, which included a bonfire of a 20-foot tower of wood and pallets with a large “Shaft the Mine” sign affixed to it, was to raise awareness of the risks to the residential homes in the area.

“These are residential communities,” he said. “Prospecting for metals – even leaving aside mining itself – risks immediate human and environmental impact: noise pollution, heavy equipment drilling, airborne dust, land erosion and low-flying aircraft.”

Citizens pointed to the Georges River Watershed as a sensitive and important ecosystem that would be harmed.

“Because of the interconnectivity of the Georges River watershed, mining would put at risk the entire area, including Seven Tree Pond, Lermond Pond, Alford Lake, White Oak Pond, North Pond, alewive fisheries and the entire stretch of the St. George River as it drains into the ocean in Thomaston,” said Ike Johnson, of Warren, and a spokesperson for CARMA.

The group has formally stated its opposition to Exiro in a Feb. 21 letter to the company’s CEO, Shastri Ramnath.

“The strength and resolve of our community and the peaceful environment we are committed to protecting should be evident to you by now,” they wrote. “Your mere contemplation of metal mining exploration has already generated a universal outpouring of opposition across socio- economic classes, political parties, states of origin, and ages. If this is not yet clear, let us say it here: Immediately stop your attempt to prospect around Crawford Pond and the surrounding Georges River Valley.”