— following Minister Broomes’ visit to several mining operations

SAFETY issues of sand, loam and stone operators (miners) will over the next few weeks be at the forefront of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s (GGMC) agenda.

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes made the observation based on the multiple infractions observed on Saturday during an impromptu visit to BK International Quarry, Baracara Quarries Incorporated, Durban Quarries, Toolsie Persaud Limited St. Mary Quarry in the Essequibo River and a sand pit in Five Mile, Potaro Road, Bartica.

The Minister mandated officials of the GGMC present on the visits, to write each quarry, sand and loam operating company inviting each to a meeting to iron out the many deficiencies observed at the weekend.

She said while the non-payment of royalties to the GGMC is a major problem, the issue of operating in safe environments must be dealt with as a matter of priority. The minister, who holds responsibility for the quarrying sect of mining, disclosed that she was appalled at the risks being taken by the companies visited.

“What I have seen here is totally unacceptable. There are things we can work with and there are others we just cannot tolerate. The lives of workers are at stake…many of them are not wearing protective gear; many of them are mining in unsafe areas. This must not be allowed to continue,” Broomes told the Guyana Chronicle.

She made it clear that while “lawlessness” was allowed to exist in the past, under her watch it will not be allowed to continue. The minister disclosed that in addition to the operations visited, there are activities in Linden, Region 10, that are to be addressed.

Broomes explained that the issues faced in that location is similar to that of Bartica and Lethem town councils. The minister noted that the authorities in Bartica have turned a blind eye to the GGMC’s attempt to clamp down on unsafe mining practices in the sand and loam sectors.

“What I have seen here is horrible; I was advised by the GGMC that in 2015, 2016 and 2017 they served cease work orders to the council, why they were served is because it is very unsafe. The road is just by the clearance, the sand wall—persons are in the face of the wall,” declared Broomes.

The minister, who is a gold miner by profession, said there has been a blatant disregard for rules and regulations in the 5 Mile, Potaro Road, in the Region Seven area. “The Commission has its role, the truck that just drove out of here got a chit from the council that they are paying $3,500 and other prices, so this is an economic benefit for the council- it is a revenue-earning situation,” Broomes noted.

She made it clear that all persons involved in mining practices across the country must follow the rules and regulations laid down by the Mining Act.

NO ONE EXCLUDED

“The rules go for all. To know that the council has breached and shown that level of disregard is not pleasing at all. I have indicated that we will invite the council because no revenues have been paid for years,” she added.

Additionally, representatives of the GGMC, including the Mines Manager (ag) Khrishna Ramdass, has been tasked with engaging the Bartica Mayor and Town Council to bring to a halt the unsafe mining practices that currently exist there.

“It is amazing the level of disregard shown to the commission by such a major stakeholder. We recognise the land falls within the township but GGMC has a role to play.”

At the time of the visit on Saturday, two men were seen piling sand into a truck while standing on the face of the sand-pit wall. “To find the men digging, no structured pit—GGMC sent letters recently to meet with them and have the engineers work with the council so as to give guidance in terms of developing mines… sand and loam. This is an ugly situation which government intends to correct; so we are going to engage quickly the town council,” Broomes told the Guyana Chronicle.

In the case of Lethem, Ramdass said the Lethem Town Council has been written to and calls have been made for them to regularise their operations. “We have written the Lethem Mayor recently expressing our desire to have the sand quarrying operations regularised.”
He explained that it is challenging to deal with town councils as they are a bit different from the regular committee. “This has been happening for quite some time.”

“We have tried to use different channels to deal with this because the lands are not issued by GGMC. The lands and the minerals where it is located is under the jurisdiction of the NDC, however the royalty is vested in the State so the GGMC as the regulatory body has to go after that royalty because that is where the challenges are,” Ramdass stated.

Additionally, he disclosed that based on GGMC’s data, GGMC has not received any royalties from such communities. “My data up to 2017 has shown we haven’t [received royalties].”
The manager of mines (ag) noted too, that the Amerindian titled lands are totally different but still relates to land ownership and “the argument is whether the Amerindian Act speaks to sand as a mineral, whether that mineral is vested in them and we are saying no. So this is quite an ongoing debate about that.”

The Guyana Chronicle reported on Saturday 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.

Meanwhile, there are seven stone quarries across the country. In Region Seven alone there are five while there is one located in Region Six, 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, with 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.