A transition to mercury-free ways of recovering gold here is not likely to be achieved soon and miners and government will have to “buy time”, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn says.

Mercury is the most efficient way to recover gold, miners argue. The chemical is widely used in the local industry but it is opposed by environmentalists who cite the harmful effects it can have when it accumulates in the human body. President Bharrat Jagdeo had said last year that mercury use in mining will have to end. Regulatory agency, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) had clarified last year that mercury use will have to be phased out in two years.

Benn, at the year’s first members meeting of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) on Wednesday at the Hotel Tower, told miners that replacing mercury would be a challenge.

“I don’t believe there is any equipment out there, here and now, which can replace mercury in the scheme of things”, said Benn. He added that they have to buy time as he does not believe there is an applicable technology that can perform to the optimum like mercury.

A small number of miners attended the meeting and Benn urged that the industry develop resources. This is critical, he said. “We are standing on quicksand on the question of reserves”, Benn continued adding that there needs to be a situation where reserves on which the industry can stand are identified and developed.

Benn said too that declaration of gold by miners is critical. He said that government has put a facilitatory framework in place for mining.  He told miners that they cannot avoid the issues of reclamation of mined-out areas and setting up of nurseries. There is going to be scrutiny and a cost to it and whether they like it or not, miners are going to be impacted, he said.
Executive Secretary of the GGDMA, Edward Shields telling of the activities of the Association said they have come a long way in understanding new proposals for the industry. He informed members that the association is about to launch a news magazine and will have a monthly feature in one of the daily newspapers. A website is being established, he disclosed.
Shields told the miners that the GGDMA has invested in a laboratory for testing samples. He pointed out that if there is a problem and the miner is not satisfied with the results from the GGMC, they can use the GGDMA’s lab, which will be in operation soon. He added that the Association has been speaking with leading miners for them to support the bringing of an expert to help miners.

He also said that he understands that government is going to set up a Mining Affairs Committee. Shields said if the objective of this is to show benefits of mining to the community, they would welcome it. However, they would be concerned if the Committee were to try to replace the GGDMA, he declared.

Benn said that the GGDMA should take a leading role in this committee. According to the minister, it is thought that the GGDMA is a club for “big boys”. He suggested that the association needs to have a branch or chapter to deal with the issues of small miners.

Shields also spoke on proposed new regulations and said they were given a chance to comment and they largely support these. When given the opportunity to ask questions, miners spoke mainly about roads. One miner said he did not know what the GGMC is doing with the billions of dollars it collects.