A UNITED Kingdom company has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental authorization to undertake a large scale gold mining operation on a tract of state lands in the Mazaruni and Cuyuni mining district.According to the EPA, the company, Sun and Sand Mining and Minerals Resources (UK) Ltd, is interested in developing an open pit mine that involves cleaning of vegetation, removal of topsoil and extraction of hardrock, and construction of ancillary facilities, ground water wells, underground fuel storage tank, and processing plant (gravitational methods). The company also wants to construct access roads within the concession and upgrading of exiting road.
The EPA said that in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, No 11, 1996, an Environmental Impact Assessment is required for this large scale gold excavating project before any decision to approve or reject this proposed project is taken, since this develpoment may have significant impact on the environment.
Members of the public are invited to make written submissions to the agency, setting out questions and matters which the Sun and Sand Mining Mineral Resources Ltd. are required to answer or consider in the Environmental Impact Assessment.
According to the summary of the project, the scope of the work starts with an open pit mine and has an expected mine life of over 85 years.
On its website, Sun & Sand Mining & Mineral Resources (UK) Ltd and Sun & Sand Mining Resources INC claims they have acquired half a dozen mines across Africa and Latin America.