Lipari pumice mine closes amidst protest

摘要

THE EUROPEAN PUMICE supply market took a knock last month when the business activities of Pumex SpA at Lipari, one of the world's leading producers of pumice products, were apparently halted on 1 December 2006. The potential closure of the mine, operational for the last 50 years or so, has been the subject of debate since late 2004 owing to the island group being part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 (see IM March '05, p.9).