Having reviewed the New Thriving Restaurant Quarry US$780,000 project and environmental permit application, the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) has ruled that the project, Arisaru, does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The EAB, in its report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that the proposed project is being executed in a suitable area and is not within environmentally sensitive zones. It stated that the area was allocated for mining-related activities and supporting facilities.
It was further stated that the company in its applications provided substantial supporting documents outlining adequate mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of the proposed stone quarry’s activities on the environment.
Nonetheless, the EPA reminded that anyone who may be affected by the proposed projects may lodge an appeal against the Agency’s decision of not requiring an EIA, within thirty (30) days of the publication of its Notice.
Appeals against the EPA’s decision should be addressed to: The Chairman, The Environmental Assessment Board via email eabguyana21@gmail.com.
In its application, New Thriving Restaurant Quarry said it had formally expressed interest in applying for a stone aggregate (gabbro) quarry within the Arisaru Mountain area, Mabura, north of Omai and has been active in the mining sector since 2015.
Describing themselves as a Guyanese business, it stated that the company has a number of mining interests and that the new venture will employ approximately 20 persons. The company disclosed that it has over 35 years’ business experience in Guyana and has been part of the mining industry for over 5 years, having developed and managed several small-scale gold mining operations.
In its application it noted that it has the ability to acquire other technical expertise if the need
arises and also has the financial capacity to fund a project of this magnitude with plans to invest up to US$780,000 (GY$163,800,000) to get the quarry project off of the ground.
The operation will utilise several pieces of heavy-duty equipment along with crushing plant and support equipment.
The project area is located in the Mabura mining area just southeast of the confluence of the Kwapanna Creek and Essequibo River, on the Arisaru Mountain.
“Regionally, the geology of this area is similar to that seen in other parts of the greenstone belts of Guyana with the oldest rocks consisting of the Lower Proterozoic Barama-Mazaruni-Supergroup, intruded by Younger Granites, and both units intruded by the Younger Basic Rocks,” it was explained in the application on the types of rocks found there.
According to the company, their production objective for Arisaru quarry is to produce riprap and aggregates for the local market.
The estimated mine life, according to the company, based on the current resource for the proposed pit, is 6 years. It was noted that the resource could be upgraded significantly with extensive drilling. And should they go this route, it will expand the lifetime of the mine.
In a breakdown, New Thriving Restaurant Quarry informed that over the 6-year period, 54% of the quarrying material will be aggregates with 46% being rip-rap.
“Initial production will focus on 2.8/6 and 6.3/10 Category GC aggregates for local construction and road building industry. It is expected that the Quarrying Operation will commence 3rd Quarter, 2022 and have a projected mine life of 6 years. It is therefore estimated that for 2022, 125,000 tonnes of aggregates and Rip-rap will be produced.”
Further, from 2022 to 2026 the estimated production (final product) will be 270,000 tonnes in the 2nd year with 280,000 to 320,000 tonnes in the 3rd to 5th years and 325,000 tonnes and in the 6th year with 150,000 tons being rip rap and 175,000 tonnes being aggregate.
Additionally, drilling and blasting will be carried out to fracture the rock to enable mechanical excavation. Holes will be drilled behind the working face and filled with an explosive (ANFO explosive). When detonated, the rock is broken into manageable fragments and transported for further crushing and processing.
The plan at Arisaru quarry is to hire the services of Hopkinson Logistics to supervise all blasting and blasting- related activities carried out within the mine, the company said.
It noted that the explosives vendor will notify mine safety personnel at least 24 hrs in advance of an expected delivery and make arrangements for the mine safety personnel to meet the explosives hauling vehicle, inspect the vehicle and escort the vehicle to designated storage magazines.
Pointing out that New Thriving Restaurant Quarry desires to conduct the Arisaru quarry operations in an environmentally responsible manner, the company said it will address all pertinent issues to insure proper stewardship of public lands and preservation of wildlife. It has also committed to engage in land reclamation activities in areas that become mined out. This will be done concurrently with mining wherever possible and in accordance with reclamation guidelines.
“As valuable material is mined out, those areas not to be affected by future quarrying operations will be reclaimed. Although it will be impossible to restore the land surface to its exact original configuration, it should be possible to reclaim the disturbed surface such that it closely matches the natural surface expression of adjacent undisturbed land.”
A source told this newspaper that more quarrying here was necessary to meet local demand since this country is “under producing” to the extent that aggregate has to be imported.
“It is because of the construction [boom]… it is to meet the high demand [for stone],” a representative of the company told Stabroek News,
And while there have been a number of applications for EPA permits and a number of quarrying licences have been issued since 2020, the source said that it is still not clear when demand would be met.
It was pointed out that while there are a number of quarrying areas available, transportation becomes a challenge for potential investors as those areas are usually in the hinterland and most of the demand is on the coastland.
Minister of Housing Susan Rodrigues had in March of last year explained that government’s granting of additional quarry licences had been informed by high demand.
“We are aware that suppliers are struggling at the moment to fill their orders and this is why government had granted additional quarry licences. And this is why we have ensured that we zero-rate the taxes on construction materials and so on.”
“Measures we have implemented make it easy for people to build their home and projects and to also make it cheaper,” she added.
