Overview of the vote
In the Swiss town of St-Maurice (VS), residents rejected a proposal to end exploitation of the Râpes quarry within 15 years and to renature the site within 30 years. The municipal referendum results showed 60.05% voting against the project, with a turnout of 58.19%. The outcome underscores a clear preference among a majority of voters to maintain ongoing but controlled use of the site while delaying full restoration.
What was on the table
The plan under consideration aimed to wind down quarry activities by 2040 and inaugurate a structured renaturation program over the following three decades. In December 2024, the General Council had endorsed a compromise allowing the two owners, known as the Bourgeoises of Mex and Saint-Maurice, to continue exploitation before eventual closure, while promising a future path toward environmental restoration. The decision followed a citizens’ mobilization that yielded 883 valid signatures, triggering the referendum to decide the community’s future stance on the site.
The core arguments
Supporters of the project argued that a finite continuation of activity could provide economic continuity and a controlled, phased transition toward restoration. Opponents raised concerns about noise nuisances, fine particulate matter, potential seismic risks, and the risk that natural revitalization could be compromised if exploitation persisted for too long. They pointed to the site’s history, including cessation of cement industry activities on the cliff-face four decades ago, and insisted that greater emphasis be placed on returning the site to a natural state as soon as possible.
Reaction from authorities
Following the vote, the municipal council acknowledged the majority decision but lamented the rejection of a plan it believed was balanced and offered promising prospects for ending exploitation and advancing renaturation in the near future. The council stated that it would respect the will of the people while noting the missed opportunity to align economic, environmental, and community interests in a single project.
Next steps and context
The decision now shifts responsibility to the Bourgeoises de Saint-Maurice, the co-owners of the site, to pursue a revised development plan that addresses the concerns voiced during the campaign while aiming to preserve, as far as possible, the positive aspects of restoring the area to nature. The broader context includes the PAD review begun in late 2022, which drew around fifty objections. Pro Natura and the WWF chose not to oppose the project outright, providing a nuanced backdrop to the public debate about balancing local development with environmental restoration. As the community looks ahead, stakeholders will likely seek a revised framework that better reconciles the economic interests tied to quarry operations with the imperative of revitalizing the landscape and reducing potential nuisances.
