Some 39 miners from Puruni Landing, Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) mining district received training in biodiversity and biodiversity-friendly mining practices.
Puruni is home to a community where mining is the major economic activity. Mining also supports other businesses in the community such as shops and hotels. This workshop, which was held over the weekend, was executed with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of mining. Falling under the theme,
Puruni miners were engaged on biodiversity-friendly mining practices on Saturday
“Support to Uptake of Biodiversity-friendly Practices by Miners”, the workshop set out “to create awareness and enhance the knowledge of mines officers and miners with respect to the impact of mining on biodiversity and the need for biodiversity conservation”.
Additionally, mines officers and miners were also educated on the ways in which biodiversity conservation might be integrated into sustainable mining.
The programme was part of the Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Gold Mining Sector Project, which was hosted by the Natural Resources Ministry, in collaboration with the University of Guyana and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The training officers were Denise Simmons, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences at UG, and Heetasmin Singh, Lecturer of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University.
The experts delivered presentations on understanding biodiversity and the need for biodiversity conservation, in addition to mining, biodiversity and environmental impacts. The 39 miners also engaged in dialogue which pertained to the Mining (Amendment) Regulations 2005, and an overview of the GGMC’s Draft Codes of Practice for small and medium-scale miners.
The topics discussed included: turbidity limits, settling ponds, disposal of petroleum products, responsibility for environmental damage, disposal of effluent, tailings dams, protected areas, safe use of mercury, and contingency and response plans.
In response, the miners called for “an even hand” when penalties were issued to errant miners, positing that while the small miners were penalised, larger operators seemed to get away with committing similar offences.
Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Ministry disclosed that a similar workshop was planned for the mining town of Bartica for this Sunday.
