Guyana Observer News

Miners call for solidarity to ensure ‘survival’

Thursday, 04 February 2010

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The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) yesterday slammed newspaper ads that it said were distorting environmental issues and it also called for solidarity to ensure what it said was the “survival” of the mining industry.
Executive Secretary Edward Shields said “We have no problem with meeting the existing regulations that relate to the environment”. In part, referring to advertisements that appeared in the Kaieteur News and Guyana Times yesterday, he stated that the persons behind these are “trying to put a spin that we are fighting against change”. He declared that this is totally erroneous.

Full-page ads in those newspapers stated that the entire mining community needs to be held accountable for unhealthy environmental practices. The ads titled ‘Bad mining practices exposed’ also included photos of mining activities and its effects. ‘Why do some big miners want to continue destroying the environment by resisting improvements? Why destroy the habitat of our indigenous people and the patrimony of Guyanese?” were questions asked in the ads. ‘Stop destroying our national patrimony’, it concluded. It was stated that the ads were paid for by the ‘Group for good mining’. No names were provided.

But Shields explained that what miners are opposed to are new regulations that would see miners having to wait six months before they are allowed to mine and the veto power that the Guyana Forestry Commission would have in this regard.

He said that they are looking forward to a February 11 meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo where they hope to hear some pronouncement that tells them that their concerns have been considered. He said that the association is concerned about the “spin” being put out about mining and environmental matters.

He pointed to the Environmental Regulations enacted in 2005 noting that they were given a two-year-grace period and have been working with environmental organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian International Development Agency’s GENCAPD programme.

Shields said that they have been working hand in hand and, among other things, have accepted that they need to put up reclamation bonds, minimize damage to the environment, and undertake backfilling and rehabilitation. He emphasized that they were not opposed to current regulations but to the ones now being considered.

Meantime, as they anticipate the outcome of the meeting, the GGDMA in an ad yesterday, called on miners and stakeholders such as loggers, farmers, spare parts dealers, vendors, poultry and meat suppliers, taxis, minibuses, trucks, and other business places to display the colour of gold (yellow) or wear something in solidarity “to ensure the survival of Guyana’s gold and diamond mining industry.”

“You may think that the failure of this industry would not impact on your way of life. Believe the association, it does”, the ad states.

The proposed six-month notification period has miners and communities dependant on the sector up in arms and on Monday, thousands of Region Seven residents protested in Bartica against the proposal. Spokesman for the Committee of Concerned Barticians, Frederick McWilfred said that the community was quiet yesterday and they are gauging the reaction as they plan a way forward.

Meantime, speaking on last week’s resignation of the GGDMA’s former president, Norman McLean, Shields said that he was not “forced out”. “He tendered his resignation voluntarily and that was it”, he stated adding that McLean cited “a matter of philosophy”.

This was before the Bartica protest and Shields explained that McLean said that at this juncture, he (McLean) believes that the miners should not be involved in protests and should await the recommendations from a Land Use Committee – set up to look into those issues.

However, according to Shields, the other executives had a difference of opinion. “We support all miners to use any peaceful methods to get the message across”, he stated.

He said that the association believes that the proposed six- month notification period will spell the end of small mining in Guyana.

The GGDMA executive said that the senior person at the GGDMA now is Vice-President, Charles Da Silva and the new president will be elected at the next annual general meting.

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