By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has approved a plan to allow Swiss cement giant Holcim to mine limestone in Ste. Genevieve County for 100 years.
Holcim spokeswoman Nancy Tully says the company must restore the 1,300 hundred acres of land it wants to quarry.
"We will actually be mining no more than 200 acres at any one time," Tully said. "We have an ongoing as-you-go restoration process, and then our reclamation efforts will begin eight to ten years after that mining starts."
Holcim is still awaiting an air construction permit, which would allow the plant to operate.
Last week four environmental groups filed suit, claiming the Army Corps of Engineers did not prepare an impact statement before issuing a wetlands-destruction permit.
If built, the facility would be the largest cement plant in the country.