A public inquiry into a proposed gold mine in the Sperrin Mountains resumes on April 13 at Strule Arts Centre in Omagh. The Planning Appeals Commission and Water Appeals Commission will hear witnesses, including international experts, and recommend a decision to the Infrastructure Minister.

Dalradian Gold, now owned by US-based Orion Resource Partners, first sought minerals in the Sperrins in 2009. The company applied in 2017 for an underground mine near Greencastle in County Tyrone. The site spans an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty across Derry and Tyrone.

The application drew more than 50,000 objections. Campaign group Save Our Sperrins objects over risks of air pollution from dust, water pollution, landslides, water abstraction, electricity demand and lorry traffic on rural roads. A primary school and GAA ground sit within one kilometre of the location.

The mine lies near the Owenkillew and Owenreagh rivers, home to Atlantic salmon and freshwater pearl mussels. In January 2022, a Stormont committee learned of six pollution incidents during Dalradian's prospecting, one medium severity with a warning and costs, five low severity.

Dalradian reports investing €346 million for an environmentally responsible operation and claims no breaches of water discharge consents or abstraction licences. The company states the project holds gold, silver, copper and critical minerals worth an estimated £26 billion, with a small percentage to the UK Crown Estate.

Dalradian projects 350 direct jobs and additional downstream employment to aid the UK industrial strategy and all-island economy. Campaigners have maintained a vigil at a site caravan for nearly 3,000 days. The inquiry follows two prior suspensions due to notification failures on cross-border issues.