Member of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources Joseph Harmon says the impact of Bai Shan Lin’s various operations on the environment must be examined by that committee and this is something that he will push for personally.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, Harmon said that given their scope and magnitude, the investments of Bai Shan Lin need to be properly examined before they are given the green light.
“I sit on the Natural Resources Committee and projects like these have to come under the microscope of the committee. That company is also involved in sand mining, forestry and other activities,” he said. He said there have been complaints of meagre salaries being paid and about environmental issues in Linden.
He said the APNU is not prepared to accept the dearth of information with regard to the company’s operation especially when such a large chunk of the country is being given to it for exploitation. The company has been given access to almost one million hectares of forest through its own concessions and in joint ventures with others in the industry.
“We are not going to sit idly by and see our resources be given away like that. All of those contracts have to be overseen by the committee,” Harmon said.
While Bai Shan Lin has announced plans for a number of investments including the acquisition of a 20-kilometre river mining concession, to date the company has not formally approached the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission with any application to do gold mining along a river in Guyana’s interior.
Acting Commissioner of the GGMC Rickford Vieira told Stabroek News recently that while he knew the company has made statements about gold mining, he was unaware of any formal application having been made to the regulatory agency with regard to gold mining.
He said it is quite possible that the company is in talks with mining companies about entering the sector.
In a letter to this newspaper, published on May 29, 2013, a letter writer noted that very little has been mentioned about the gold mining project, despite the many public pronouncements of late of the various activities the company is undertaking.
“Seeking permission to dig up a stretch of river to look for gold stands out even more than the logging concessions, but strangely, very little mention is made of this aspect of the proposed investment,” the letter writer said.
The person said it was “surprising” that this has been referred to in many articles in the various newspapers but up to now no reference has been made to the likely location. “Why the secrecy about the location? The locations of the various forestry permits are already known, so why not the same with the mining investments?” the letter writer asked.
The person noted that the project sounded as if it could be a large mining venture with numerous potential environmental and social implications. “It is only hoped that, in the apparent desire for greater transparency of the forestry ventures, that the size, mode and location of the proposed mining venture is not overlooked,” the letter writer said.
“Scrutiny needs to be made of this aspect of the mega investment just as there is for the forestry/logging investments,” the person said.
Repeated efforts by this newspaper to speak to officials from the company with regard to details of its proposed river mining operation, in addition to other areas of investment proved futile over many weeks.
The companies linked to the Chinese group are Bai Shan Lin International Forest Industry Development Co Ltd founded in 2005; Haimorakabra Logging Company Inc; Demerara Timbers Limited; Karlam South American Timber (Guyana) Inc; Wood Associated Industries Ltd; Kwebanna Wood Products Inc; Sherwood Forests Inc; Bai shan lin Mining Development Co, Ltd; Bai shan lin Real Estate Development Co Ltd; Bai shan lin International Shipmaking Co Ltd and Bai shan lin Guyana Chinese Products Mall.
