As the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) continues to pursue the goal of achieving reduced mercury use in mining, Commissioner Newell Dennison has signaled that complete eradication of the chemical in local mining activities may not be possible.
Dennison told Sunday Stabroek that many artisanal miners are unable to access financing to transition into mercury-free mining. This means that the use of the chemical will always be seen as the most profitable means of extracting gold.
On the other hands, those miners whom he described as ‘mechanised,’ are able to adopt the non-mercury methods that are available as it would be cost effective for them.
