By Ariana Gordon 

– as part of temporary measures to address mercury exposure issue
– Trotman says situation not life-threatening

GOVERNMENT will be taking urgent steps to remedy the situation of mercury emissions at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), which includes the temporary closure of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) laboratory housed in the bottom flat of the GGMC compound.

The laboratory is used to burn amalgam to rid the gold of mercury. Mercury is mixed with gold, forming a mercury-gold amalgam which is then heated, vaporising the mercury to obtain the gold. This process can be very dangerous and lead to significant mercury exposure and health risks. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, told Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday that the situation is a serious one and steps will be taken to ensure that all workers operate in a safe environment.

“I will be taking some urgent steps including perhaps closing down the laboratory temporarily. I know that there have been some external reviews, so I am confident and comfortable that those are okay,” he told the Guyana Chronicle. The minister said though he does not believe the situation is a life-threatening one, it must be treated seriously. “At my end, I am treating it very seriously and I do believe that it is indeed not life-threatening but the fact that any employee could be in a position of jeopardy is of great concern to me,” said Trotman, who noted that “If there is anyone that needs treatment outside of Guyana, we are going to arrange that.”

“We don’t want to play around with the livelihood or lives of anyone,” he told the Guyana Chronicle. Concerns were initially raised by the GGMC staff who have been tested for high levels of mercury in their bodies. The results of the tests according to reports indicate that the levels of mercury were high in some workers as opposed to others.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement on Monday, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the GGB acknowledged that there was a problem with mercury emissions but refuted that the matter is at a crisis stage and that many of its staff are in danger. In fact, the joint statement said, the matter “is under control” as many measures have been taken to address the situation. “The GGMC and the GGB have collaborated in the past several weeks to enhance mercury management activities at the Brickdam Complex, so that there are no emissions of mercury during daily operations,” the statement said.

This, the two entities said, is in addition to the existing measures and part of the operational routines which had included regular testing of workers. Moreover, GGMC said there has been a comprehensive inspection of the entire emissions control system; timely refurbishing of all areas and aspects of related systems; physical extension of emissions chimney; satisfactory testing of work and resulting emissions; arrangements for written assurances (warranties) as to work performed; the continuation of an aggressive maintenance schedule; the recruitment of external monitoring parties for safety certification purposes; and continuous monitoring to detect any suspicious levels of mercury emissions.

That aside, the statement noted that there have been “frank and timely communications with GGMC staff.
“GGMC has communicated to those few staff members who have an elevated mercury level that all efforts will be made to have them evaluated and treated, in line with guidance shared by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).”

The statement, however, acknowledged that “the typical treatments are presently unavailable” but noted that the GGMC has made other arrangements to address that shortfall. “The GGMC and the GGB wish to assure everyone that the matter of mercury emissions is of serious concern and engages the highest levels of attention from its senior administrators. The GGMC and the GGB stand fully committed and involved through continuous monitoring to control the situation to meet all acceptable safety levels,” the statement concluded.