Stressing that the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) would not cause the cessation of mining activities, President Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday, said that there would be changes in the industry, indicating for the first time, an intention to stop the use of mercury in the sector.
“We’re gonna get rid of the mercury”, the President declared in the midst of an exchange between him and miner, Patrick Pereira. The miner, a committee member of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) had moments before asserted that the LCDS would have “disastrous” effects on the financial and social aspect of the small and medium scale mining industry. His remarks prompted the President to strenuously defend the strategy and he said that no rule will be made to shut down the industry.
The improper use of mercury in the mining industry has long been a contentious issue here and the sector has come under increased scrutiny, particularly from those in the environmental sector.
The use of mercury — which is toxic to human health and the environment — in gold mining is governed by strict regulations here but it has been acknowledged by the authorities that some miners do not comply with the rules. Environmentalists have long called for stricter monitoring of its use here.
Jagdeo, on Wednesday, met miners at the Hotel Tower to discuss the LCDS–a plan which outlines Guyana’s approach to promoting economic development in an environmentally sustainable way. A key part of the strategy involves the deployment of Guyana’s rainforest towards addressing global climate change.
The miners raised issues of roads and the high cost of living in the interior, prompting Executive Director of the GGDMA Edward Shields to tell them to speak of their concerns on the LCDS, which they had discussed with the Association.
Pereira said that they have a fear that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) would want to enforce a regulation that will “put 90% of miners out of business”. According to him, this was a requirement that miners do exploration before they are allowed to start mining. Strongly arguing his point and bolstered by the support of fellow miners, he said that members of the sector would like to work along with the President and assist in achieving the success of his carbon credit initiative but not at the price of their social and financial destruction. He proposed setting aside five to seven percent of forested land for alluvial mining that would not require exploration first. Pereira warned that if this is not done, “thousands would suffer” and there would be a “massive” increase in unemployment, poverty, crime and social degradation.
He was, at this point, cut off by President Jagdeo, who charged that Pereira was painting a “doomsday scenario that is not grounded in any fact”. The President said that if Guyanese persist with the old way of thinking, it will lead to the exact scenario that Pereira set forth. It reflects “static thinking” Jagdeo said.
After their exchange subsided, GGMC Commissioner, William Woolford pointed out that exploration is acknowledged to be important before mining commences. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who holds the ministerial portfolio for mining, added that the future would see the development of specialized groups to do prospecting. He noted that the exercise is costly and asserted that it needs to be done with or without the LCDS.
Returning to the point again, Jagdeo put forth the scenario of a “gold shout” occurring outside of the territory that would have been put aside for mining. The whole country should be available for mining, he said, but it must be done in a way that does not affect the environment.
In his feature address, the President had acknowledged the important role of mining to Guyana. He said that nothing will be done to affect the development prospects of the people or harm the interests of the mining sector. The LCDS is not a bio-diversity protection or environmental strategy but a developmental one, he stressed. Throwing out the question of why Guyana cannot move rapidly to the new phase of development that it “so badly needs”, the President said that the past has been focused on fixing up things.
To move the country to the next level, the sectors of the future have to be identified and a process put in place to catalyze growth in those sectors, Jagdeo said. Large sums of money are needed to finance a new wave of development; he stated noting that despite all the contributions of mining and other sectors, such as agriculture, the country is still unable to pay all of its bills.
Directly addressing the impacts the LCDS would have, Jagdeo said that forestry activities will continue. He pointed out that wood production could even be expanded and it would still be compliant with sustainable forestry. The impact of mining is limited compared to the size of the forest, he noted. But he observed, in the future some of the methods (used in mining) would have to be changed whether or not there is the LCDS. The GGMC has to do more enforcement, “they have not done enough in the past”, he declared. The President expressed the view that mining will continue but in the future, Information and Communications Technology will overtake the sector.
While some miners complained about the state of roads and bridges, and the need for more technical advice, others spoke up in support of the LCDS. “Miners have really turned the corner”, was the view expressed by one. Responding to a concern expressed about gold smuggling, Jagdeo revealed that he had spoken with the Surinamese President and they are working on an arrangement on the issue. Smugglers should beware, he added. The President pointed out that the LCDS does not specifically address mining regulations and said that assuming that the Strategy does not go forward, some of the actions spoken about, will still have to be done.
Earlier, GGDMA President Norman McLean had said that miners are conscious of the dangers of mercury. “We are not reckless…it is not production at any cost”. He declared that gold and diamond mining are not and should not be damaging to the LCDS. He said that the Association will commission a socio-economic study, which will determine the “real” impact of the sector and has already contacted the University of Guyana on this issue.
