Against the backdrop of a statement issued by the Office of Minister in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment earlier this week alluding to damage to the bank of the Potaro River arising out of illegal mining activity, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has issued a statement reminding miners that the mining of river banks (buffer zones) is against the law and prohibiting such activity “without due consideration of and specific consideration from the commission.”
The notice from the GGMC also coincides with confirmation made to this newspaper by an industry source that “river bank mining” was “a common form of illegal activity” in the sector. “The extent to which the GGMC can actually enforce that order in the absence of proper policing is really the valid question,” the source said.
Last week, the office of the minister issued a release on the matter of the mining of river banks directed to “all miners, but more particularly large-scale miners, to operate in a manner that is friendly to the environment and to ensure that they operate within the confines of the miner regulations.” The appeal in the release was in response to a visit by a team headed by Minister in the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes to the Konwaruk area during which, the statement said, “The team was disturbed by the obvious damage that is being done to the environment by the mining activities being carried out in the area.”
It said that in one instance an excavator operated by an un-named mining community “was seen pushing material from the bank of the Potaro River into the river.” It said that the bank of the river had already been destroyed and that there was now no buffer zone.
The GGMC source told this newspaper, meanwhile, that while the notice it had published was “the expected formality” it was not likely that it would curb the practice of mining of river banks. The source said that setting aside the policing of the sector it was a question of creating “a level of environmental awareness among miners” that allowed them to recognize the environmental damage that results from the mining of river banks. While the release urges large-scale miners “to set the example for small-scale miners” the source told Stabroek Business that the bigger miners were probably better positioned to commit that kind of transgression.
The laws associated with gold mining include reclamation obligations under which holders of large and medium-scale prospecting and mining licences and permit holders are required to lodge an environmental bond with a bank, refundable only after which the mined area is restored to the satisfaction of the GGMC. A three-month period is granted for restoration. Should the miner fail to conduct the restoration exercise part or all of the environmental bond will be used to restore the environment.
Meanwhile, during the visit, the team also received several complaints from miners about the actions of the supernumerary constables employed by mining companies. While the ministry is well aware of the security concerns that is behind miners employing such constables it is concerned about the complaints received from small miners that they are at times threatened with guns. In other instances small miners complained about their equipment destroyed by bullets from the guns of those constables and their camps being destroyed.
