The Guyana Government is working on several options for the mining industry in face of the impending ban on the trade in mercury, according to Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud.
Efforts, he reported to the National Assembly, are being made to lobby the international community to create a mechanism for developing countries to assist in “technological advancement” to benefit small and medium scale gold and diamond miners.
The gold mining industry here uses mercury extensively to purify gold but a ban on the trading of the chemical which can harm the environment, is scheduled to take effect next year. Alternatives to the