The construction of the access road for the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHEP) could lead to illegal mining, forestry, hunting and commercial fishing in the Kuribrong watershed and the Pakaraima Mountains, according to the project’s draft Access Management Plan.
The report also noted that biodiversity in the area could be affected and that consequently an Access Control Plan (ACP) has been developed and will continuously be updated.
The report noted that “the road and the transmission line could potentially open access to illegal mining, forestry, hunting, and commercial fishing in areas previously inaccessible to vehicular traffic in the Kuribrong watershed and the Pakaraima Mountains.”
The document further said that “the road and transmission line can potentially disrupt the movements of native species, encourage the spread of invasive species, fragment habitants, and increase the risk of fires.”
The goals and objectives of the ACP, the report said, are to minimize the potential negative consequences of the development of the road on biodiversity conservation, support conservation of the hydrology of the Kuribrong watershed and help manage any potential user conflicts that may arise.
The plan will apply during the three phases of the development of the hydropower project, which includes the eight months of construction of the access roads, the forty months of construction of the dam and the twenty years of operations of the plant.
According to the report, the key measure proposed to mitigate the impacts from improved access is to restrict vehicular access along sections 6 and 7 of the access road.
This includes 67 kilometres from the 81 Mile junction on the Bartica-Potaro road to the power house site downstream from the Amaila Falls. Restrictive vehicular access via the access roads will be enforced by the Ministry of Public Works in conjunction with reporting functions of several agencies.
The ACP will be subject to widespread consultation and will be finalized after incorporating the results of the consultation on the full ESIA. It is expected to be completed before February 2011.
Meanwhile, the report pointed to the Mining Act 65:01 Section 82 which restricts mining operation activities within 200 m of public works and said that this is applicable to the building of the access roads.
“The Guyana Forestry Commission will, within one year, establish within the Code of Practice a similar 200 m restriction of forestry activities; the Code of Practice will become a legal requirement for forestry activities when the new Forests Bill is assented to.” These measures prohibit the use of the AFHEP access road for forestry and mining in commercial activities.
The report said that customary and traditional uses by Amerindians in the area will be safeguarded under existing legislation and, pending safety management, they will be permitted to continue traditional and customary uses of the area.
Work on the Amaila Falls access road began in October, after Synergy Holdings Inc. received the Construction notice to proceed from the Ministry of Public Works. The award of the US$15.4 million contract to the Florida-based company caused an uproar as questions were raised about the entity’s road building experience.
The first phase of the project includes “the upgrading of approximately 85 km of existing roadway, the design and construction of approximately 110 km of virgin roadway, the design and construction of two new pontoon crossings at the Essequibo and Kuribrong rivers.” The project also includes the clearing of a pathway alongside the roadways to allow for the installation of approximately 65 km of transmission lines.
