‘Hands off the Kurupung’ – Region 7 Vice-Chair warns EPA against approving uranium drilling

Aug 10, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) With Canadian firm U92 Energy slated to commence drilling at the Kurupung Uranium Project this month following approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Vice-Chair of Region Seven, Alden Marslowe, has added his voice to growing concerns over the project, calling on the government and EPA to halt further approvals.

In a social media post, Marslowe said “hands off the Kurupung,” warning that “Guyana must not gamble with the future of the Middle Mazaruni.”

The Kurupung Uranium Project spans approximately 92.2 square kilometres in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and carries a historical resource estimate of 20.6 million pounds of uranium.

U92 Energy acquired the project earlier this year through the acquisition of LIA Industries Pte. Ltd., a Singaporean company. In a recent corporate update, U92 said it had subsequent correspondence with the EPA and submitted an environmental management plan as requested by the agency.

“The company has determined to proceed with completing the site infrastructure and anticipates that the phase one drill programme will commence during the month of August, 2026 following receipt of the EPA’s approval of the environmental management plan,” U92 said.

Since taking control of the asset, U92 has finalised a commercial agreement with Orbit Garant for a phase one 5,000-metre diamond drilling programme and acquired the project’s historical exploration data.

With the company preparing to commence drilling soon, Marslowe said the people of Region Seven, particularly communities in the Middle Mazaruni, have every right to be deeply concerned.

“This is not simply another mining project. Uranium is different. The potential consequences of uranium exploration and, ultimately, uranium mining demand a much higher standard of caution, transparency, scientific scrutiny and public consultation than what Guyanese citizens have witnessed so far,” he stressed.

Marslowe called on the government and the EPA to stop and reconsider the project before any further approvals are granted. He cited what he described as a lack of consultation with the Regional Democratic Council of Region Seven, village councils, Indigenous communities of the Middle Mazaruni and the wider public.

“One of the most troubling aspects of this matter is the apparent absence of meaningful consultation with the people who stand to be most affected,” he noted.

Kaieteur News reported that LIA Industries local subsidiary, LIA (Guyana) Inc. was incorporated in Guyana on 20^th March, 2023, and holds exclusive rights to occupy and explore the property under two Prospecting Licenses issued by the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) on 19^th April,2024. The licences permit exploration of uranium, other radioactive minerals, and rare earth elements for three years, ending 18^th April, 2027, with an option to extend for up to two additional one-year periods through 18^th April, 2029.

Marslowe added, “The people who live in these communities have an intimate relationship with the land, forests and rivers. Their livelihoods, food sources, transportation, culture and way of life are intrinsically connected to the natural environment. Yet public reporting indicates that the uranium prospecting licences were granted in April 2024, while the existence and implications of the project only became widely known much later.”

He also referenced a statement by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), which called for the project to be halted and raised concerns about the lack of consultation and the absence of free, prior and informed consent from affected Indigenous communities.

Marslowe argued that the environmental implications of the proposed uranium project deserve serious attention, pointing out that the Kurupung, Mazaruni and Essequibo River systems are interconnected parts of a larger watershed upon which thousands of Guyanese depend.

“A mistake, accident, leakage or failure involving hazardous materials in an upper watershed does not necessarily remain confined to the immediate project site. Once contaminants enter a river system, they can travel. The potential consequences therefore extend far beyond Kurupung. They can affect downstream communities, aquatic life, fisheries, drinking-water sources and people whose livelihoods depend upon these waterways,” he said.

The Vice Chair also outlined the potential risks associated with uranium mining and processing, noting that such activities can generate radioactive waste and other contaminants. Further, Marslowe questioned whether Guyana possesses the regulatory capacity, technical expertise, emergency preparedness and long-term institutional resources necessary to safely manage uranium development.

He pointed to comments made by former EPA head Dr. Vincent Adams, who warned that Guyana currently lacks the regulatory and technical capacity required to safely oversee uranium mining. “That warning cannot simply be dismissed. The Indigenous way of life must not be sacrificed The Middle Mazaruni is not an empty piece of real estate waiting to be exploited. It is home,” the vice chair added.

He noted that ancestral territories have served Indigenous communities for generations, with residents depending on the land for fishing, hunting, farming, transportation, traditional medicines, cultural practices and spiritual connections. “Development cannot mean that communities are expected to surrender their way of life because a foreign company has identified a commercially valuable mineral beneath their feet,” he added, noting that villages in the Middle Mazaruni are increasingly united in their opposition to the project.

Moreover, Marslowe further argued that citizens should not have to rely on company releases and newspaper reports to learn details about the project. To this end he noted that government has a responsibility to tell citizens what is being proposed, where it is being proposed, who stands to benefit, what risks exist, what safeguards are in place, who will bear the costs if something goes wrong and what happens after the company leaves.

Marslowe also said the public should also have access to relevant environmental studies, baseline water-quality data, radiation assessments, emergency-response plans, waste-management proposals and rehabilitation commitments.

The vice-chair said legitimate concerns about public health, Indigenous rights and environmental protection should not be silenced. He said government should pay attention to the concerns surrounding the project and urged the EPA to act cautiously. He also called for citizens to be consulted.

He further noted that the Kurupung uranium project presents Guyana with a choice: either rush forward because the mineral is valuable or pause because the people and environment are more valuable.

He argued that if Guyana cannot demonstrate that it has the technical and institutional capacity to regulate uranium exploration and mining safely, then the responsible position is not to proceed with the project.

“I therefore urge the EPA to decline the environmental approval for the proposed uranium drilling programme unless and until there has been full, transparent and independent examination of the environmental, social, health, cultural and cumulative impacts of the project,” he said.

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• Alden Marslowe, EPA Executive Director Kemraj Parsram, Guyana uranium project, Kurupung, LIA Industries Pte. Ltd, U92 Energy, Vice-Chair of Region Seven

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