The residents of Dukla in Újezdeček, Teplice, firmly reject selling their homes as a potential solution to problems associated with a planned lithium processing plant. The company preparing the investment, Geomet, plans to construct the plant near their homes.
The entire project of mining and subsequent processing of lithium is seen as nonsensical by the locals. Marek Gebauer, a resident of the area, expressed hope that the scheme will fall through and not come to considerations such as buying their homes.
The lithium mining in Cínovec is expected to begin eight kilometers away by 2028, per the investor’s plans. From there, raw materials will be transported via conveyor belts leading over tree crowns to Újezdeček, where a giant plant for processing mined ore will be built. The residents, however, are not thrilled about having the plant in their residential zone, fearing a negative impact on their quality of life and the surrounding landscape.
Geomet’s director, Martin Pohlodek, recently mentioned that they are prepared to address potential negative impacts and have a plan B in case things don’t go as planned. One of the solutions could be a possible buyout of the homes.
The investor’s idea has taken the locals by surprise, and the mayors of the municipalities directly affected by the project. Tomáš Sváda, mayor of Košťany, reacted to the news with disbelief, stating that they heard about the variant from the media and no one had discussed this with them.
Geomet would face severe resistance to the proposal to buy houses from the locals. Ladislav Branda, chairman of the settlement committee, stated that they are not in a situation where they would consider selling their homes. He emphasized the community’s determination to fight hard so the processing plant would not built there. If it is, it should only be under conditions in line with their demands. That is, it should still be possible to live there normally.