Following breaches of a tailings pond and reservoir at two large-scale mining companies, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat has announced that a joint-agency monitoring unit will be established.
“This is the second time we have had a collapse; first it was Bosai and now GMI [Guyana Manganese Inc]. So I wrote the GGMC to set up a joint team with the EPA and others to monitor these large scale mining companies,” Bharrat told the Sunday Stabroek as he emphasised that the country cannot risk a third mishap. Bosai and GMI have the same parent company.
Two weeks ago, a section of the reservoir belonging to Chinese-owned GMI collapsed, releasing a torrent of water that washed away a section of the road which connects Matthews Ridge to Port Kaituma, and flooded surrounding areas.
