The Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) will be facilitating a public hearing tomorrow into all appeals submitted against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision not to require an impact assessment for the York Investment Inc quarry mining project.
The hearing will be held at 2pm at the EPA on Ganges Street, Sophia.
Earlier this year, the EPA had announced that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be required for the York Investment Itaca Quarry Mining Project to be located at the confluence of the Essequibo River and the Epikuru Creek, Region Three.
In a notice yesterday, the EAB said that the public hearing will involve presentations from the appellants, the developer and other key stakeholders; after which, the EAB will deliberate on the findings and prepare a report with its decision confirming or setting aside the EPA’s decision.
In its project summary, York Investment said that it is looking to get into the quarrying business due to the development of the road network approved by European Union for the Lethem/Georgetown road. The company noted that it has the financial capabilities to fund the project and has enlisted the help of the technical expertise to determine its feasibility.
The initial capital cost is US$3.2 million and the total working capital is estimated to be US$9.4 million.
York investment noted that a ton of material is going to cost approximately $1350 making the investment into the quarry very lucrative.
In mid-July, Benjamin Marine and Salvage Services Inc (BMSSI) filed an action in the High Court against the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) which it says has illegally cancelled its quarry licence and asked that the court compel both the Commissioner and the Commission to restore its licence granted back in 2017 and to quash their decision giving notice of the intention to grant the quarry licence to York Investment.
BMSSI also wants the court to grant an order of prohibition or alternatively an injunction restraining the Commission, their servants or agents from taking any further steps reflecting its intention to grant the licence to York Investment.
In its application against the Respondents— the Commission, its Commissioner, York Investment and Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat—BMSSI is seeking damages for what it says is breach of duty.
BMSSI says that after expending years of “investment, effort and time” it was finally granted a quarry licence from the GGMC on June 19th, 2017, by which it acquired exclusive right to occupy 1,418 acres of state lands at Itaka, East Bank, Essequibo for a period of 15 years for the purposes of quarrying hard rock and granite, among other things.
BMSSI said that in January of this year the Commissioner informed it that its licence would be cancelled for “failure to pay outstanding rental fees and inactivity”.
The Applicant said that when it enquired what could be done, the Commissioner said “it was beyond his control” and that BMSS “could try to speak to the Minister” if it wanted.
