The Chinese-owned Guyana Manganese Inc. (GMI), which had to be shut down after the sudden death of two of its workers and the air dashing of 10 others to China in 2019, has had its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Region One project approved by the EPA.
In a notice in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle newspaper on Sunday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notified the public that the EIA for the mining of manganese by Guyana Manganese Inc. at Matthews Ridge, Barima-Waini, Region One, had been approved.
It said that the EIA has “fully complied with the Terms and Scope which were set by the EPA in consideration of the submissions made by members of the public.”
According to the EIA, stakeholders were engaged through three “unique” processes.
It said that public meetings were held in Matthews Ridge, Port Kaituma and Mabaruma as part of the statutory EIA scoping process.
One-on-one meetings, according to the EIA, were convened with national and regional agencies and institutions to gather information and opinions, including concerns and recommendations. These include government offices with regulatory responsibility over various activities within the area of interest of the project, infrastructure or navigation entities, and a conservation organisation working in Region One.
The EIA also stated that stakeholders were engaged to provide updates on project implementation and receive feedback on their concerns relating to the project but COVID-19 caused setbacks. “At the outset, a variety of engagement methods were intended to be deployed. However, most of these consultations could not have been conducted on account of the public health and safety requirements and restrictions arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the EIA team conducted telephone interviews to engage directly with key representatives of local authorities and communities,” it said.
Guyana Manganese Incorporated was created in 2016, as a subsidiary of the Bosai Minerals Group of the People’s Republic of China, to invest in the resuscitation of manganese mining, processing in Matthews Ridge and export from Port Kaituma, the company’s profile states.
It says that the current investment will focus on the historic, previously mined sites located in Matthews Ridge. Ore mined and processed in Matthews Ridge would be transported overland to Port Kaituma for shipment to Trinidad and Tobago.
According to the EPA, the GMI has “adequately addressed” in the EIA the views and feedback expressed by the public during the statutory 60-day public review period.
A recommendation for approval also came from the Environmental Assessment Board and the EPA said that the company’s EIA “has adequately assessed the potential adverse effects or risks posed by the project, and the Environmental Mitigation Plan proposed sufficient mitigation measures”.
Investment
In the EIA, GMI stated that it plans to invest US$75 million into the project to restart manganese mining in Guyana this year. “Mining will resume after rehabilitation of the previously mined site and infrastructure with the aim of producing 2.0 million tonnes of manganese ore annually for processing to turn out 500,000 tonnes of concentrates for intermediate shipment to Brighton Port, Trinidad,” the EIA states of the project plan.
In order to realise the project, GMI said that some 400 workers will be required over a one-year construction period, with 340 (85 percent) being Guyanese, and the others being technical trainers and process specialists from China.
“At Port Kaituma, the construction of the Kaituma Marine Terminal will require approximately 200 workers over a 7-month construction period while project operation is intended to employ about 30 workers, of which 27 (90 percent) would be Guyanese with the others being administrators and specialist technicians from China,” it added.
The extraction rates planned when related to current reserves yield a mine and project life of 13 years.
‘Medium Risks
The mine was closed in March of 2019 when workers carrying out scoping works took ill and two – 47-year-old Zhenglong Zong and 45-year-old Zengguo Ji, both Chinese nationals – subsequently died from what the company said was leptospirosis and respiratory failure.
Then, seven workers were air-dashed to the city, where they were quarantined at the Georgetown Public Hospital after experiencing flu-like symptoms, which led to the death of Zengguo at the Pakera District Hospital. An additional six workers were subsequently air-dashed to the city for treatment at the GPH and Zhenlong died while receiving medical attention there.
After the two workers succumbed, the Chinese government made a request for the 10 sick workers, all Chinese nationals, to be flown back home for medical attention. This request was granted and the men were flown back to their home country.
No update was given on the health of the 10 except for the Chinese government saying that they were showing signs of improvement about a week after the ordeal.
The company later admitted that the workers had entered the mine without protective gear.
While no mention of the deaths was made in the EIA, the document says that workers will be equipped with necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) during the execution of their duties.
It notes that the project will have continuous construction of mining pits, roads and temporary housing during its lifetime and the employees will be at risk from a combination of factors in each situation. However, it stresses that GMI would provide relevant PPE to all workers and their use should be strictly enforced on the job site.
Also noted was that due to the workers’ exposure to high concentrations of manganese in the air for a prolonged period, there are risks of “serious neurological illnesses”. But the company said that the PPE will cushion this impact on the health of those employed there.
“However, occupational exposure to inhaled manganese dust or particles can be managed if appropriate PPE are used by vulnerable workers. In addition, the crushers and the jigging machines are contained. Further, the particulates on the conveyor belt will be suppressed by spraying of water. The mining site will also be wetted frequently in the dry season. Adverse health outcomes are negative, direct, long-term and localised. If appropriate PPE are utilised, this potential impact will be of moderate significance and likely to occur during the project lifetime. As a result, occupational exposure to manganese dust are Medium Risks of the project,” the EIA says.
