-GGDMA says it is the beginning of a process to stamp out mercury

REDUCING the use of mercury in mining has been on the front burner for the past few years, and as part of continued efforts to ensure that miners move away from the practice, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) conducted a mining symposium.

According to a press statement from the GGDMA, the mining symposium, which was held on Friday, focused on the use of alternative technologies and techniques for better recovery and the reduction in the use of mercury in Guyana.

The one-day mining symposium was held at Park Rayne and was attended by officials of the GGDMA, local and overseas-based manufacturers, fabricators and equipment suppliers, Conservation International, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.

President of the GGDMA, Andron Alphonso, said the activity was part of association’s goals for 2020, which is to, thoroughly and transparently, explore all options available for miners to reduce the use of mercury in mining operations and to place miners on the path of reduced mercury use.

The main aim of the symposium was to help miners gain knowledge on how some of the available technologies work and to explore how the GGDMA can help to streamline operations and improve efficiency of mining.
Alphonso said many critics have accused the GGDMA of purposely resisting the reduction of mercury and explained that this is not true, rather the association prefers to have solid, proven advice on what works and not be sold equipment by people who only have a “sales agenda.”

The current technology, which has been used by miners for the last 50 years, must be allowed to evolve and has to be considered when implementing new methods and equipment.

“The purpose of the symposium was to demonstrate to miners what can work in Guyana and what can be practical and beneficial. The GGDMA has partnered up with Conservation International and The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to explore all options available to miners and the GGDMA welcomes the strengthened collaboration,” said Alphonso.

He urged miners to appreciate that this is just the beginning and miners must recognise that the world has changed and miners have to change with it, and, as such, need to transition to use less mercury if they expect to sell gold easily on the global market.
The President of the GGDMA also took the opportunity to remind miners to vote for the political party that supports mining. He said miners, by now, should have been exposed to the plans of the various parties and miners should use this information to make an informed decision to vote for the party that will support and sustain the mining industry.

“The Guyanese public is looking forward to peaceful, transparent, free and fair elections and urged all political players to ensure that they deliver on this,” said Alphonso.
Government had recently moved one step closer in its approach to regulating the use of mercury in the mining sector, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the management of the importation of mercury into Guyana.

Signatories to the MoU were the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB), the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

The purpose of the MoU is to coordinate and enhance the procedures for management of the importation, storage, distribution, use and disposal provisions for clean-up in the event of an accident or spill of mercury, which is a known toxic chemical used in Guyana’s gold mining industry.

The MoU outlines the adaptive criteria to which all importers, resellers and users of mercury will adhere. It also outlines the procedures to which the identified agencies will comply and also seeks to improve communication among the identified agencies with regards to mercury importation, storage, handling, resale and use in Guyana.
“A journey to being mercury free is a long but necessary one. We started it in 2013 after we globally expressed our national acknowledgment of the dangers and hazards of mercury. We made a commitment then towards the elimination of its use by signing the Minamata Convention,” said Minister Trotman in a recent report.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and release of mercury and mercury compounds. With mercury being a chemical, which is still widely used in the gold mining sector, Minister Trotman said government is still on a pathway to making mercury history in Guyana.

He said the government is steadfast and will continue to preserve and maintain the momentum of creating a safe and clean environment, and to protect the lives and livelihood of the people by addressing the dangers of mercury.