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Bauxite and Orealla

Nov 04, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor,

A few years ago, I visited Orealla to look into the potential for the bauxite industry.
What I found was a well-established small Amerindian community that was healthy and thriving in a healthy environment.
In years past, I had also visited Linden and saw a thriving town, but one filled with dust and consumed by a large number of health problems caused by the bauxite industry.
Kidney issues appear to be the main problem that continues to affect the residents.
The recent announcement to exploit the bauxite deposits on Orealla will require careful consideration of how to prevent a repeat of the health problems that have plagued the Linden community.
The dust will be an issue and although Orealla is a sparsely populated place, it has an Amerindian community worth preserving.
If the plan does become to develop the alumina production fully, then it may be safer to relocate residents and convert the area into a bauxite industrial complex that also makes products for adjacent industries.
These are not very healthy environments in which to live even with extremely strict OSHA requirements, but if managed with the implementation of the most recent technology, the impact of toxic by-products can be reduced.
However, I have reviewed and participated in this industry with one of the global leaders of the sector and would recommend preventing the establishment of residential communities in close proximity.
A good test of what may be possible in just the basic mining of the bauxite can be carried out in Linden.
Fixing the contamination and health issues there will provide great experience for those who will need to be involved in managing the sector’s development in Orealla.
Hopefully, with the help of the families on Orealla, we can find a win-win solution that allows for both the economic development and the continued healthy development of the Amerindian community.
Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

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