Miners’ body ups pressure on Govt. for mercury phase-out assistance

Aug 14, 2018 News

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The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is calling on Government to place more resources to help stakeholders in the phase-out of mercury.
Guyana is targeting 2027 for ending the use of the deadly mercury in mining.
Miners are insisting it is the cheapest way to recover gold. Any alternative, they say, would be more expensive and beyond their capacity to fund.
According to the association, it is committed to the responsible use of mercury in the small and medium scale gold mining industry of Guyana.
“The GGDMA continues to be committed to the Minamata Convention and we look forward to government providing technical and financial assistance to miners as suggested under this Convention,” the association said in a statement on the situation.
It acknowledged the challenges to finding solutions to the mercury problem that faces the local gold mining sector.
“We are also aware of the studies that show that villagers in a remote part of Southern Rupununi had elevated levels of mercury in their bodies, even though there is absolutely no mining in or close to their village.”
In fact, there is a report, released at a recent mining conference in Guyana, which provided information on the mercury problem in Queensland, Australia, caused by the application of fungicides which contained mercury or mercury compounds as ingredients, to the sugar cane plantations there.
“The GGDMA is now quite sure that the unfortunate prolonged accidental mercury releases from the GGB (Guyana Gold Board) operations within the GGMC compound in Brickdam has convinced the government that the mercury challenge requires more than compliance enforcers.” The association noted that Government in its wisdom sought overseas technical assistance and provided the necessary finance to help solve the problem caused by the use of poor and/or malfunctioning equipment and systems by the affected state agencies.
However, that itself is worrying.
“GGDMA is perplexed that government has neither published a credible National Action Plan for mercury use in small scale gold mining in Guyana, nor provided the requisite technical assistance or financial assistance to the small-scale gold mining sector. We once again note that such assistance is contemplated and encouraged by the Minamata Convention to which Guyana is a signatory.”
The association said it is urging local gold miners to use mercury responsibly – using gloves, respirators, retorts, and by refraining from putting mercury in the mining pit.
“We encourage miners to seek advice from the relevant GGMC technical staff on the safe use of mercury. The GGDMA is committed to working with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the GGMC, the EPA, the OSH department of the Ministry of Social Protection, as well as with Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund, and others, to find feasible solutions to the challenge presented by the necessary use of mercury in small scale gold mining in Guyana.”
In addition, the GGDMA said it intends to seek partnership with the large-scale foreign mining and petroleum companies with the goals of finding feasible solutions to the mercury challenge, and support for health and safety and environmental management in small scale mining in general.

On Wednesday August 16, 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury came into force.
The Minamata Convention is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. Mercury is used in the gold mining industry and can be a threat to human health and the environment.
The GoG signed on to the Minamata Convention on October 10, 2013 and ratified it on September 24, 2014. Guyana was one of the first countries to sign on to the legally binding agreement and had done so with the full support of the mining sector, mainly members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) and the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GWMO) following consultations. Further, Guyana is among the first countries to ratify the Convention.
Having done that, the Government has taken a number of proactive steps, one of which was the putting together a National Working Group to guide the development of a National Action Plan, which is in the final stages of preparation. Among the actors on the National Working Group are regulatory agencies and Government Ministries such as the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Guyana Gold Board, the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Pesticide and Toxic Chemical Control Board, The Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Health, Guyana Human Rights Association, Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs. Comprising the body also were funding partners WWF-Guianas, CI-Guyana and the United Nations Development Progamme (UNDP).

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