Effective June 1, 2012 no application for river claims will be processed by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), according to an ad by the GGMC in the Guyana Times yesterday.
The ad did not state a reason for the decision. However, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud had ordered the freezing of permits to begin in December of last year. A boom in gold prices had seen an increase in illegal mining and resulting pollution, officials have said. Pollution of rivers as a result of mining operations has been a major issue in the past. Guyana is working to clean up its environmental act following a forests partnership with Norway.
