Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Denies Plans to Discharge Low Levels of Cyanide and Mercury Into River
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Wednesday denied media reports that a gold mining company plans to discharge water containing low levels of cyanide and mercury into the Essequibo River.
In a statement, the GGMC, said that Avalon Gold Exploration Inc. holds an exploration license and not a mining license and as a result, the company is not authorised to conduct mining activities and has no approved mining plan in place.
“Any mining plan would need to include a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and a dewatering plan, which are prerequisites for mining approval.”
GGMC said that Avalon Gold Exploration Inc. has submitted a work programme to it as part of its exploration activities, as required for its exploration license.
“All activities are reported to the mining commission. The dewatering mentioned in the article is related solely to the draining of the mining pit to facilitate further exploration work, not mining.
“It is important to highlight that the pit being dewatered is not a tailings pond. Tailings ponds are specifically engineered to treat materials containing cyanide and other substances, while mining pits serve different purposes.
“Moreover, large-scale mining operations in Guyana do not typically use mercury, and the use of cyanide or similar leaching agents is strictly regulated, reducing the risk of these toxic substances entering water bodies,” the GGMC said.
The Commission said before any dewatering can proceed, Avalon Gold Exploration Inc. is required to obtain the necessary environmental permits to ensure full compliance with all relevant regulations.
“In consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we confirmed that the information available on their website pertains to Avalon Gold Exploration Inc.’s application for various activities, including the dewatering of existing mining pits.”
The GGMC said that the EPA has also clarified that a comprehensive EIA will be required before any activities can commence or approvals be granted.
“This process reflects the EPA’s commitment to transparency, allowing public review and feedback on all applications. To this end, the EPA strongly encourages community participation, as public input is essential for ensuring responsible and sustainable environmental and mining practices.”
The GGMC has sought to re-assure the public that it will “ actively participate in the EIA review process and oversee any mining-related activities to ensure adherence to all mining and environmental regulations.
“We urge the public to stay engaged in this process as we continue to promote responsible and sustainable environmental and mining practices,” it added.
