Hungarian villagers vote against plans for clay mine

Residents of the Hungarian village of Torda (Fejér County) have vetoed plans to establish a clay mine and brick field nearby. In September 2006, a company examined Öreghegy, a hill next to the village to see if it contained clay suitable for mining, and found that the hill could produce high quality clay for up to forty years.

Villagers were concerned that the dust and noise from mining and the smoke from the brick field would risk their health, and also worried that the mine would destroy their drinking water and vine cultivation on the hill. As a result, the local government decided to hold a referendum about the question on Sunday, October 7.

The majority of the villagers voted against the mine and brick field, which would have provided the village with Ft 55 million to Ft 60 million of tax money per year. 76% of the eligible voters cast their votes. 618 were against the investment, and 355 supported it. Since the local authority entrusted villagers with the decision, the mine will not be built, Mayor Csaba Juhász reported.

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