Latest update February 16th, 2025 7:49 PM
Latest News
- Oil in Liza 1, 2 and Payara to be drained in less than five years
- ExxonM does not deny paying taxes in Bahamas but tells K/News to focus on how the oil deal is delivering money to Guyana
- Thousands take part in London rally against Donald Trump’s Gaza plan
- Govt. aggressively pursuing digitizing of health sector – Pres. Ali
- 275 cases of child abuse recorded in 2025 – Min. Persaud
GGMC to make miners pay for illegal operations along river banks
The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is stepping up its zero tolerance stance
Acting Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison.
against mining along the banks of rivers.
Acting Commissioner of the GGMC Newell Dennison, yesterday during an interview with the Government Information Agency, said the regulatory agency remains “very stringent” against breaches and mining of buffer zones.
Buffer zones are areas along the bank of a river where mining is prohibited, Dennison explained.
“We want to certainly indicate to our miners that that should not be how they operate, and we are going to be coming after them with a ‘no tolerance approach’ where that continues to happen,” Dennison said.
The Acting Commissioner pointed out that GGMC will be intensifying the monitoring of mining districts to curb this practice. Dennison said there has been an increase in reports of mining along the river banks, and some of these activities have incurred breaches.
Dennison also disclosed that the GGMC will impose restoration of damage on miners who are found in breach, once they are caught.
“It’s not going to be easy, but we’re not just going after you for mining, we want to go
A river dredge.
after you for restoring, reclaiming, so breaching of the buffer zone, mining of the buffer zone, anything that would be disturbing the environment or the banks of the river, we’re coming after you,” Dennison stated.
Buffer zones help to maintain the integrity of the course of the river, and prevent erosion which in turn reduces instances of turbidity.
“You want to maintain a rich vegetation cover along the banks so that you would preserve that particular environment,” Dennison further explained.
Dennison noted that there is increased awareness in the sector towards the need for safe and sustainable mining, but there are still those who violate the regulations. The GGMC has been increasing its efforts through enforcement and training to ensure that the industry practises safe and sustainable mining.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
I don’t remember!
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- I have an uncle, Morty Finkelstein, who has the peculiar habit of remembering things with... more
CARICOM Nations Should Respond Together To new U.S. Policies
By Sir Ronald Sanders Ambassador to the US and the OAS, Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News-Two Executive Orders issued by U.S.... more
Weekend Cartoon
