– GGMC urges miners to pay attention to environment
Gold miners were urged, on Saturday, August 27, to abide by the environmental regulations governing the sector, even as acting Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Karen Livan, announced that gold production for this year was at a record level.
Livan made the comments on Saturday at the Regatta Pavilion in Bartica in celebration of the 11th annual Pork Knockers’ Day.
A miner competing in the Takuba Crossing competition on Saturday as part of the 11th annual Pork Knockers’ Day celebrations in Bartica, Region Seven. On his back is a warishi filled with sand
The event attracted hundreds of Guyanese, and was themed “Evolving methods, embracing excellence and enjoying success.” In congratulating the miners for their sterling contribution to the sector, Livan noted that, for the sixth consecutive year, gold production has been at record heights. “We are on track to break another record for gold production in 2011. That is worth celebrating… it is worth celebrating because gold production is entirely from small and medium-scale producers. Mining in total is contributing to the national economy. In 2010, it accounted for 50 per cent of the foreign exchange earnings in Guyana,” Livan remarked.
Not only has gold production and prices impacted positively in terms of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but it has increased the number of persons being employed in the sector.
According to Livan, there are some 8,000 persons employed in the sector, and this number is ever growing.
“This is contributing to poverty reduction,” she said, adding that more income is being generated through the transportation sector.
But while the miners were given kudos for their outstanding performance over the years, they were called upon to work hand in hand with government, so that the sector could become more vibrant. In that regard, miners were urged to pay full attention to environmental regulations, and in particular Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
“We need to be mindful of some of the other issues that concern us as miners.
“We need to be concerned about safety and sanitation in the mining sector. These concern us as workers and employers. We need to be concerned about improving the safety and sanitation in mining operations. We need to be mindful of our external environment; that is, both the physical and social environments, because these have a great bearing on the existence of mining and how mining is viewed,” the acting commissioner said. She added: “We need to be aware that environmental management is everybody’s business – pork knocker; small-, medium- and large-scale miners. We need to be conscious of the LCDS, because that is going to impact the way we mine.
“It is going to demand from us that we are compliant with the regulations for environmental management. This concerns not just some; it concerns all. The survival of the mining industry depends on how it performs, and the changes that will result over the next few months must be tackled positively.” Livan stated that one challenge which would be facing miners soon is the phasing out of mercury in small- and medium-scale mining. According to her, This particular challenge also presents us with an opportunity, an opportunity to improve gold recovery – and especially the fine gold sizes that are not well caught in the sluice boxes –, to improve our overall profitability.” The GGMC acting commissioner told miners that government will continue to lend support to the mining industry in whatever way possible. “We will stand by you to provide the technical support that you need, including training and certification. We will continue to provide you with information and documentation on technical aspects of mining. We are willing to not only provide our own services and own skills, but where necessary, we are willing to recruit specialists who are needed in the industry to bring solutions to the problems that are so persistent. As we work together, persist and don’t give up – we will continue to grow and prosper, and will find ways to overcome the challenges.”
