As part of its efforts to “foster greener, more sustainable mining”, the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Natural Resources will soon be establishing a compliance unit and crafting a National Action Plan aimed at minimising and, as far as possible, eliminating the use of mercury in mining operations.
This is according to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA). According to the release Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman announced these measures on Thursday at the opening of a two-day session on Global Small-Scale Gold Mining as part of supporting technical training in Guyana’s extractive industries.
The compliance unit which will be attached to the ministry is to be tasked with monitoring the implementation of its policies such as those in the National Action Plan. The National Action Plan will be mandated to minimise and, where feasible, eliminate mercury releases into the air, water and land by adopting environmentally sound management practices in a phased approach.
“They are going to be going out on behalf of the ministry to just verify that the government’s policies are being understood, well-duplicated, respected and followed,” Trotman said.
According to the release the programme will ensure that miners and officials are trained in international best practices, mines management and alternatives to mercury mining.
“The training workshop is a joint effort by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI) and the Ministry of Natural Resources,” the release noted.
It said that Trotman in his address to participants said that the training initiative includes measures to modernise the technology used in the sector and to reduce the dependence on mercury, in keeping with Government’s goal to foster greener, more sustainable and efficient gold mining practices.
“Globally, artisanal and small mining operations are reported to be responsible for over 700 tonnes, per year, of mercury emissions into the atmosphere and an additional 800 tonnes mercury release to land and water, making it the largest anthropogenic source of mercury,” Trotman said. He added that Guyana has not remained untainted by this reality as the use of mercury in the small and medium-scale mines has adversely impacted indigenous communities and the environment a reality which this training intends to change.
The training is also expected to introduce skills which, through sustained practice, will drastically reduce or eliminate the number of mining deaths. Sessions will be held for officials and miners in Georgetown, Linden, Mahdia and in the North West. Plans are also in train to open expansion centres in these areas to facilitate the training.
Dr. Adam Keifer, a representative of CIRDI, who is in Guyana to assist with the project, is noted as explaining that it has been divided into three phases. Phase I will cater to consultations, meetings, the exchange of ideas and introduction to the actual programme. Phase II will entail a week-long training session at the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Laboratory in Linden and Phase III will entail field training sessions with miners in Mahdia, Region Eight.
