Dear Editor,
It was with immense horror and frustration that I read of what was happening to farmer Daniels and his young family. The government and the EPA are aware of how dangerous manganese mining is to the health and development of human beings, especially young children. With this in mind, the government should never have permitted the Chinese mining company to have the land near homes and farms for the storage and staging of the manganese. The dust that farmer Daniels and his children are breathing is extremely toxic. The government has to immediately relocate all the people living in close proximity to these manganese operations. No leader in good conscience can allow this to continue. It is extremely urgent that this problem be rectified immediately. Our country cannot develop and be prosperous if our citizens’ health and livelihoods are destroyed in the process. How can a properly functioning EPA knowingly allow such an operation to exist? This is a clear indication that a change must occur within the Environmental Protection Agency.
CRG calls upon the current administration to address this issue posthaste and help save the Daniels family and others affected from being destroyed by the toxicity caused by the exposure to manganese and manganese dust. The EPA must clearly outline a safe perimeter where no farming, animal rearing nor human occupation of the land can occur around all manganese operations. CRG had previously stated that the mining of manganese should not be permitted until all safeguards are in place. The return on investment for this project is also not very attractive. Our people deserve better and are worth much more than this toxic industry, which is already showing total disregard and lack of respect for the lives of our citizens. This situation needs to be immediately rectified!
Our President and First Lady have shown themselves to be loving parents and no one would expect them to be knowingly comfortable with such toxic exposure for children within our nation. Our Nation’s First Family has a responsibility to safeguard the lives of all Guyanese families and the children of our nation are their responsibility as well. The leadership of the EPA must seek to improve and ensure that the agency’s decisions do not put at risk the lives of our people. We are a small and closely knit community in Guyana. We must not step on the blood of our fellow Guyanese in the pursuit of money. Please help save the Daniels family and all others that are being affected by this highly toxic manganese industry.
Sincerely,
Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of
Guyana