The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Old Fort, North Carolina. | Photo by Sean Rayford / Getty Images Companies mining high-purity quartz in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, have paused operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The quartz is a critical component of the chipmaking process — and it’s only found in Spruce Pine. The two mining companies in the area, Sibelco and The Quartz Corp, confirmed that flooding, power outages, and employee displacement have led them to stop their work. In a statement on its website, Sibelco confirmed that it has “temporarily halted operations at the Spruce Pine facilities in response to these challenges” since September 26th: We are working closely with our local team to safely restart operations as soon as we can and are actively coordinating with local authorities and other partners to manage... Continue reading…