Mercury in mining could end in a year, consultant says

Gold miners at Quartz Hill

– tests of new equipment set for Quartz Hill this month

Gold mining could become mercury-free in as little as a year if the sector is determined to see it happen, a Venezuelan-born Geological Engineer who works as a consultant in the local mining sector has told Stabroek Business.

“The technology is available and it’s affordable for miners. It’s up to the miners to determine how quickly they want to make the transition,” Jhonny Alberto Leon told this newspaper.

Gold miners at Quartz Hill
Gold miners at Quartz Hill

Asked about the mood of the mining sector in the matter of embracing technology that would rid the sector of mercury, Leon said in his opinion many Guyanese miners still embrace what they consider to be “the cheapest and easiest method.”

Leon, who has been working with local miners to identify machinery and conduct mercury-free trials in mining communities told Stabroek Business that Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Board Chairman Clinton Williams and GGMC Commissioner Rickford Vieira have both reacted