THE manufacturing of products using the top soil, commonly called overburden, that is discarded during bauxite mining, is up for serious discussion by the Linden Economic Development Committee.

The most common product that is processed from the overburden is clay bricks. While discussions were held and proposals were made, the initiative seemed more of a reality following the recent visit of a South African delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources of South Africa, Godfrey Oliphant. Oliphant, after visiting the East Montgomery mines, controlled by Bosai Minerals Group Guyana, encouraged the local officials to get more out of bauxite mining by adding value to the overburden.

He observed that the soil has a greater percentage of overburden and clay, compared to bauxite. In South Africa, this is exploited for building houses with clay bricks. Chairman of the Economic Development Committee of the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC), Lawrence Simon, said that the committee is currently producing a plan for both short and long term exploitation of the resources. Diversification in the various sectors, he said, is paramount for the development of Linden and with the availability of this resource, many job opportunities can be created.

“Indeed we are heading in that direction. We would have highlighted areas of interest that have clay deposits around Linden and in Region 10, which we also want to explore,” Simon related. To make this possible, the council will be investing in several business ventures independently through public private partnerships. “At the end of the day, it is to create employment, to improve our services being offered…what the minister would have said, would have just strengthened our decision, because that is the direction that we were heading,” he posited. Simon noted that the committee will be looking to invest in various machines that can manufacture various types of clay bricks.

The committee would have also sent pieces of correspondence to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to outline areas in the municipality with mineral resources so that these can be better monitored.

Two private groups would have already sent proposals to the Ministry of Social Protection to become involved in brick making. Currently, there is one company in Linden, Linden Bricks, that undertook this business venture and has been receiving contracts from ministries and other government agencies.

Proprietor, Robert Cameron, noted that because the bricks automatically interlock, houses are built faster while cutting up to 20 per cent of the cost, since most of the other material is not needed to plaster the blocks. The houses are also cooler since the bricks are very dense, thus heat takes a longer time to penetrate them. They are also sound and bullet-proof. There is also no need to paint the bricks since they already have a natural artistic look, which is also a means of economising.

On Sunday, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, in an invited comment, said that a team from Guyana should be visiting South Africa later in the year. He said there is a high possibility that someone from Linden will be on that trip to get a first-hand experience of how South Africa exploits these kinds of material. “We will see if we can get somebody from the region on that trip to see how we can mobilise, because it is what we call waste material, but it is actually a valuable resource,” he said.