Lindeners complain about BOSAI’s bauxite dust pollution

Jun 10, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – It has been years that residents of Linden, particularly those of the communities of Central and South Mackenzie have been battling with environmental pollution resulting from bauxite mining.
They however believe that with the current operation of the Chinese-owned Bosai Mineral Group Guyana the situation has worsened, claiming that the company is not investing in environmental protection practices. These concerns were recently magnified by residents of Kara Kara, Industrial Area, Noitdegacht and other communities in South Mackenzie, Linden, to US Embassy’s Civil Affairs team that recently conducted a visit to the community in an effort to further corroborate previous claims made.
Concerns ranged from contaminated drinking water, damage to public infrastructure, homes and dust pollution. They complained that their yards and homes are flooded with murky, bacteria-contaminated creek water. Presently there is visible residue in the Kara Kara Creek from bauxite mining operations. The creek is normally used for domestic purposes by residents in Kara Kara and other surrounding communities. Given the economic situation of the community, access to potable water is difficult hence they use bleach to try and clean the water. “But when they don’t have bleach available they drink the water straight from the creek. The people of Kara Kara say they are below poverty and cannot afford to use the water company,” the report noted. In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), had fined BOSAI one million dollars and had halted its operation, after an investigation found the company culpable of discharging waste water into the creek.
Need for relocation
Constabulary compound-Mckenzie Linden- resident Kenrick Glasgow told the Civil Affairs team, that he had documented his complaints to EPA explaining the damage being done to his home by BOSAI’s operation. “Mr. Glasgow identified infrastructure damage to his bathroom and items in his home that have been broken due to the vibrations from the mine. Items such as a glass window on the wall divider. Mr. Glasgow stated his neighbours have the same issues but no one addresses the issues due to actions not being pursued. He stated, he may have to relocate after living in his home for 20 years,” the report stated.
In 2020 BOSAI was also fined by EPA for negligence resulting in a breach in the company’s tailing pond. This resulted in the homes of several residents in Noitdegacht being flooded with slush. Noitdegacht Resident-Gavin Marshall voiced his concerns, saying residents did not have issues with the previous owners of the mine. “Once Bosai Mining Group took over operations, the dust and flooding from the mine have been ongoing issues,” he said. “The tailings pond is supposed to suck up nasty contaminated water and push out clear water. But after Bosai Mining Group took over, there has been significant runoff of discoloured water going directly in the residents’ backyards and homes,” he said. The residents are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the claims.

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