Defaulting mining operators could face legal action – Pres. Granger

Sep 17, 2015 News

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In the aftermath of the release of the findings from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into mining deaths, Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, met with the heads of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA).
The meeting was held at the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment’s boardroom on Brickdam, and offered GGMC an opportunity to present its response to the recommendations.
During the meeting, a draft plan of action was presented by acting Commissioner of the GGMC, Newell Dennison. which included strategies for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection, improvements at the technical levels, continuous and systematic training.
In addition, the plan also includes the enhancement of education and instituting a certification requirement for General Managers of mining operations, in addition to public and miners’ education on best practices.
President David Granger, on whose orders the Mining COI was launched, was vociferous in warning defaulting mining operators that they will face legal action if they breach the new standards, which will be instituted from the COI report recommendations.
He made these statements at the first gold pouring of Guyana Gold Fields’ Aurora gold mines on Tuesday, during which he gave the feature address.
“The lives of the men and women in this industry are more precious than the minerals they mine,” Granger said.
“But gold mining is becoming increasingly dangerous. Miners are being killed. Mining pit accidents have led to death and injuries. Sixty-two persons have lost their lives in the mining sector in the last 60 months, at least one per month, one too many.”
He continued, “We will institute legal action against companies and individuals who breach those (new mining) standards.”
Touching on the Mowasi mining pit tragedy, Granger revealed that foreign Heads of Government wrote to him expressing condolences for the Mowasi accident. The President described it as a severe loss considering the small population that Guyana has.
“The Minister of Governance did establish the COI to investigate these accidents and based on the findings of that report, which he brought to cabinet, we will work together with stakeholders to ensure a stricter regulatory framework covering design, structure and the operations of mining pits to be put in place.”
The President also pledged to strengthen the enforcement capabilities for the measures where necessary.
Trotman said that the meeting was not about laying blame, but rather to solve the crisis in the industry. The Minister also admitted that while accidents and mishaps were inevitable, the alarming number of casualties must be decreased.
Trotman also acknowledged that the work to be done would require additional resources for GGMC and as such, he will be looking to increase their budget allocation.
He also committed to exploring the setting up of a Court, which will deal only with mining-related matters so that these cases can be expedited, saving the GGMC valuable time and resources. He however highlighted the importance of GGMC utilizing other forms of dispute resolution to ensure speedy completion while protection of the rights of all parties involved.
The meeting was attended by newly elected President of the GGDMA, Terrence Adams, immediate past President, Patrick Harding, Colin Sparman, who served on the Commission of Inquiry, Edward and Hilbert Shields, Andron Alphonso, Azeem Baksh, Charles Da Silva, Conrad St.Romain and William Woolford.
The Miners’ Association also committed to working with the Government of Guyana to ensure that the recommendations, which were made in the COI Mining Report, are implemented for a better mining sector.
The mining COI, which was chaired by Dr. Grantley Walrond, operated from July 1 to July 31 and was ordered by President David Granger after what was arguably the worse mining accident in recent memory, the collapse of a Mowasi, Potaro mining pit that killed 10 miners. There had already been quite a few accidents leading up to that.
The COI revealed that 25 deaths have been recorded in 16 accidents within the past 12 months; 75 per cent of these were due to the collapse of mining pits.
Among the findings, was that the principal cause of pit failure accidents was the neglect of safe mining practices.
In addition there was evidence that shortcuts were being taken in an effort to maximize production.
It has also been noted in the report that from 2010 to 2015, a total of 62 miners, particularly young men, have died in the industry. The COI also found that there is a laidback culture to safety and as such, clear rules must be applied and enforced.

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