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DESIST OR BE REMOVED…Government warns illegal miners at Marudi, Tassawini

May 06, 2019 News

Desist or be removed.
That’s the warning that Government issued yesterday to miners who are reportedly operating illegally on the Marudi Mountain concession of Romanex Guyana Exploration Limited, Region Nine, and on the Tassawini Amerindian Reserve, Region One.
According to the Ministry of National Resources, in the case of Marudi Mountain, small miners were found to be in direct breach of a mediation agreement signed in 2016, termed the “Mediation of the Marudi Mountain Dispute Agreement”.
It was meant to allow 70 small-scale mining operations to work on the land, as long as they complied with the environmental safety and health regulations. Minister of National Resources, Raphael Trotman had brokered the agreement three years ago, after a standoff between small miners from the Marudi Mountain area, representatives of Indigenous communities, and Romanex Guyana Exploration Limited.
Despite the terms of that agreement, several miners began “dangerous and illegal mining operations” in the Mazoa Hill Area, according to government.
Romanex Inc., the Rupununi Miners Association and the South
Rupununi Development Board, have made several reports to government about those transgressions. Therefore, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission chose to respond with a team headed by GGMC Senior Engineer, Trevor Hurry along with three members of the Ministry’s Corps of Wardens and four members of the Guyana Police Force.
From May 1, a general meeting was held, to inform persons about the purpose of the exercise and the expected outcome, and then orders were issued to unauthorized operators – a total of thirty-four operators of “Crushers” – within the Marudi Mining Licence to remove from claim or permit area under Regulation 154. The deadline on those orders was yesterday, May 5.
In the case of the Tassawini Amerindian Reserve, government stated that it estimates that there are 17 illegal and heavily mechanised mining operations occurring on Wayne Vieira’s mineral property, V-4/MP/000. A team of three Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) officers, headed by Senior Mining Engineer, Michael Howard, along with three members of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Corps of Wardens and four members of the Guyana Police Force, began an exercise on May 1 to have them removed.
A statement from government noted the objective of that team: “to remove all mining operations from Wayne Vieira’s mineral properties”. This is due to a Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling, which affirmed Vieira’s rights to the mining concession. Copies of the court order were shared during discussions between government and representatives of the Chinese Landing community, in 2018.
The GGMC team, according to government, has held discussions with the Toshao and Councillors of Tassawini Village on the purpose of the visit and its intended activities.
The team already dismantled 11 wooden sluice-boxes and retrieved several pieces of tackling associated with the mining operations. Government has noted requests by the remaining persons that they be given time to remove their equipment, and Vieira is expected to secure the property in a specified period.

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