Baishanlin builds road to Region Nine before impact study

Bai Shan Lin’s representative Lun Weikang in discussion with Rewa’s Toshao Daniel Haynes at Apoteri on Tuesday.

Chinese logging company Baishanlin has constructed a 130km-long road extending almost to Region Nine without awaiting an impact study and authorities have told alarmed stakeholders that construction will stop for now.

“Where the road stops right now as the main road, there will be no more road from now,” Deputy-Commissioner of Forests Tashreef Khan told villagers and others from the North Rupununi, who gathered for a scoping meeting at Apoteri, Region Nine on Tuesday.

Stabroek News was present at the meeting, where Khemraj Parsram, the Director for the Compliance and Enforcement division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that the road would be covered under the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) currently being done. However,