SOME quarries and sand-pit operators have failed to pay up millions of dollars in royalty to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).
Guyana Chronicle understands that for 2017, the estimated royalty generated by quarry operators stood at $14, 723, 400; however, only $6, 424, 900 was paid over to the GGMC. In the case of sand-pit operators, approximately 1, 733, 035 tonnes of sand was extracted from pits in 2017. As a result, some $25, 995, 525 of royalty were generated but only $19, 563, 528 was collected by the Commission.

The level of non-compliance with the regulations governing the mining sector, to which these two operations fall, is difficult to be quantified, Krishna Ramdass, Mines Manager (ag) told Guyana Chronicle Saturday.

He explained that the key areas for royalty collection are sand and stones. In the area of stones, there is about 53 per cent compliance level while in the area of sand-pit mining, there is 75 per cent compliance.

While the GGMC four years ago established a quarry monitoring unit and there has been some level of success in the reduction of some level of non-compliance, there still exist challenges.

Areas of non-compliance also reside in the safety of the operations, but that has been significantly reduced. Ramdass made it clear that those who breach the mining regulations are penalized through the issuance of cease work orders, which are temporary means used to get operators to pay up.

It should be noted, however, that the Mining Act makes provision for those found culpable of breaches to be charged and taken before the courts.

Meanwhile, there are seven stone quarries across the country. In Region 7 alone, there are five while there is one located in Region 6 and one near the old OMAI mining site in Region 10. Sand-pit operations occur along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, with six active sites; there are two sites in Berbice, and one sand-pit and one loam in the Essequibo River.
Additionally, on the Essequibo Coast, there are three sand-pit operations linked to Amerindian titles, while in Bartica, Region seven, there is one sand-pit operation and one loam operation. With the number of activities in these areas, GGMC has assured that while there were challenges in the mast with monitoring the operations, those challenges no longer exist. “We have been very active…we have a high percentage of coverage,” Ramdass told Guyana Chronicle.

Other major areas of interest to the GGMC are ensuring that all operations are conducted in a safe manner. “Safety is critical,” said the GGMC manager of mines (ag).
Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes encouraged all mining operators to comply with GGMC regulations; she called on operators to pay up their royalty to the entity while stressing that safety is paramount when operating in the industry.

Broomes was at the time part of a GGMC delegation conducting impromptu checks on quarries across Region Seven Saturday. The Minister expressed much disappointment at the level of non-compliance relative to safety at a number of operations visited. She and her team first visited BK Quarries, located at Tiperu, Region Seven, where she observed that the overburden, the material that lies above an area that lends itself to economic exploitation, such as the rock, soil, and ecosystem, was not properly stored.

WORK IN PROGRESS

But General Manager of the mines, lovingly called “Uncle Cyril” explained that while the process is an expensive one, the operation is a “work in progress”. He explained that in the past, when Mazaruni granite operated the quarry, a system of “rolling back” was employed. That system was initially used by BK but “isn’t working out, so we are loading it in the truck and dump it in the valley.”
The Minister, during her impromptu visit, stressed the importance of safety and the protection of the environment. During her visit to the Baracara Quarries, commonly called “Big Hope Quarries”, Broomes expressed satisfaction that that entity is 100 per cent compliant in terms of payment of its royalty to GGMC.

However, it was observed that that company too is not storing its overburden properly. It was noted that the overburden is being placed in a nearby valley. “If you are going to full those, we should have engineers and so come and look at the area and advise on those because that would cause a change of environment here,” said Broomes. Baracara Company supplies about 24 per cent of stones to the local market.

Over at the Durban quarries, the state of affairs relative to the entity’s operations was not pleasing to the officials. In fact, it was recommended that a cease work order be issued to the company based on the number of infractions observed.

GGMC had visited the company approximately one ago and made observations with the hope of implementation. However, when the team visited the location Saturday, the area where the stones are blasted was unsafe.

Huge stones were seen sitting at the edge of the pit walls and appeared easily susceptible to vibrations which could result in them falling from above, hitting, causing serious injury or killing workers.

“Last month an inspector was here and he told me about it…we are working on it,” Robby, the general manager of the operations, told Minister Broomes upon enquiry. He said the weather has affected his company’s ability to comply fully with changes outlined by GGMC. He acknowledged that the overburden has to be removed.
Broomes, in response, said due process and time was given to the company to get its act in order. “If while you are cleaning the pit someone dies here… this is safety, not a joke. You as the general manager, your life is at risk. You don’t need a pit cave-in, all you need is a rock to fall… this is dangerous!”

MUCH DISAPPOINTMENT
But it was the team’s visit to Toolsie Persaud’s St Mary quarry located in the Essequibo River, which sparked much disappointment. Upon arrival, a worker was seen hitching a ride to the front of heavy duty equipment. The officials present indicated that the company has no ground transportation.

“You have 40 plus men and you have no ground transportation and the means of getting your workers around here is in the bucket of equipment. That is how you treat your workers?” asked Minister Broomes.

“The workers are not stones and rock. A big company like this! I am saddened by this…this is not a new quarry…no ground transportation. If something happens to one of the men…they can die. The level of non-compliance reported is clearly high disregard for the regulations,” the Minister declared.

This company too had issues with the storage of overburdens.
Similarly, at 5 Miles, Bartica, the situation was described as “horrible”. Broomes and her team explained that in 2015, 2016 and 2017, cease work orders were served on the Bartica town council because the 5 Miles sand-pit is “very unsafe”.
“The wall that is here and the workers are working in the face of the wall. We have to correct this. To know that the Council has breached and shown that legal of disregard is disappointing,” Broomes noted.

She explained that for years, no revenue has been paid over to the GGMC, while noting that there is no structured approach to sand-pit mining in Bartica. Broomes said too that letters were sent to the Council with the hope that the body can work with GGMC to iron out the challenges.

“We are going to engage quickly the town council,” she assured while noting that progress must be made across the board relative to compliance. Meetings are to be scheduled soon with all quarry and sand-pit operators to have these issues ironed out.