Political will needed to improve mining laws -GGMC Commissioner

Political will needed to improve mining laws —GGMC Commissioner

Nov 05, 2019 News

Head of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, (GGMC) Newell Dennison believes that political will is lacking in the process of amending the mining laws.
Speaking to Kaieteur News about the status of mining law reform, Dennison noted that talks have been on the table for years now, but the work needed to achieve the goal has been lagging.

GGMC Commissioner, Newell Dennison

GGMC Commissioner, Newell Dennison“While these things might seem simple they have been discussed for years now and what is required to change the law is not straightforward. These matters must be discussed extensively and then taken to parliament before that change can actually take place,” Dennison said.
He was at the time responding to questions about reform as it relates particularly to provisions in the Mining Act, which is currently up for review.
Dennison said that “simply put, the political will must be there to change things before that change can actually take place.”
The Mining Act is currently up for revision to allow for better management of mineral resources. As the principal law regulating the mining sector, the Mining Act details how mining exploration, development and production are to be conducted, setting out rules for the granting of licences.
According to the Act, the GGMC is the designated enforcer of the law and monitor of all the subsurface mineral rights owned by the State.
Dennison had explained previously that the issues associated with mining have attracted the GGMC’s attention for years.
He told Kaieteur News that while a legislative change is a possible solution to the issue, it’s not the only solution, and that the decision would have to wait on consultations with stakeholders.
He pointed out, for example, the issues associated with land reclamation.
Land reclamation is a process of decommissioning and revitalizing mined out areas, which requires that mine operators are essentially cleaning up after themselves by, inter alia, replanting trees and opening blocked waterways to make the land useful again.
Land reclamation regulations have been in place since 2005.
According to the mining regulations which apply to all categories of mining; large, medium and small; 225(1) “subject to 271 (3), every holder of a mining licence, prospecting permit or mining permit shall lodge an environmental bond in Form 19 in the schedule thereof in favour of the commission, for an amount to be determined by the commission”.
If or when mining lands are abandoned, the GGMC would use the bond for mine reclamation.
The regulations state that miners have to lodge a fee of $100,000 to the commission, a bond that is not enough to cover any environment.
As it stands, studies are being done to come up with a suitable figure of what should be lodged as the reclamation bond.
Dennison noted that for some time now, GGMC has been considering a possible increase in the fees for reclamation of lands which have been mined-out.
The GGMC Head said that the Ministry of Natural Resources has started the discussions and is in possession of drafting new regulations.
Over the last three years, GGMC has expended roughly around about $100 million to reclaim far sites at Linden, Mazaruni, Mahdia and other areas.

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