LANGHAM, Sask. Residents near a proposed metals processing plant northeast of Saskatoon say they are against the project because it may pollute their water supply.

Fortune Minerals Ltd. is seeking approval under the Environmental Assessment Act to construct and operate a metals Processing Plant in the RM of Corman Park near Langham.

The environmental impact statement is under public review until Dec. 6.

Langham resident Ken Crush and 25 other community members have formed a group that has been holding town meetings and spreading information on the proposed project.

He says their aquifer provides water to all the acreages and farms and the town of Langham, and if it gets tainted, it cant be fixed.

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society says its recommending the province not approve the project.

We recognize that the metals that are being processed are fairly widely used and that there may be appropriate locations to set up such a plant or there may be ways of changing the processing so that it could be more safely carried out but I would say not in a region that is agricultural and growing residential area, said Ann Coxworth, a board member with the society.

Coxworth also said that the environmental assessment has a lot of gaps that leave many questions and doubts.

The fact that they still are not really sure whether the deep formation into which they intend to pump the waste is chemically suited to receive them and they say that they will do that study after the project is approved, she said.

Crush also said the assessment raises some concerns.

As lay people and people who use that water thats our biggest fear that is this water going to be fresh and there for our future and our children and their future, Crush said.

To put it bluntly we would like to see our water not put at risk. We would like to see Fortune Minerals move someplace so that it doesnt put our water and our community at risk.