Virtually all of the world’s supply of high-purity quartz, a mineral required to produce semiconductors, comes from a tiny North Carolina town that was devastated by Hurricane Helene.
“If something were to happen to these mines, it can put the entire industry on its ear, period,” one industry expert said.
The two companies operating mines in Spruce Pine have paused operations since Thursday. The Quartz Corp. says they have “no visibility” as to when activity will resume.
