The nearly 6,000 residents of the villages closest to Romanex Guyana Internation-al's Marudi Mountain gold mining concession have commented on an Environ-mental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the proposed venture.
They now have an additional 60 days to submit any additional comments and to hire consultants to determine how the management plan and monitoring arrangements can address the issues identified.
Romanex is the parent company of Vannessa (Guyana) Inc through which the project will be implemented. The EIA was conducted and its report prepared by Ground Structures Engineering Consu-tants Ltd.
The report says that the US$12 million project will initially provide jobs for 25 persons. During the mining operations just fewer than 100 jobs will be provided.
It estimates that annual management and mitigation of the likely impact of the project on the environment will be in the vicinity of US$1.8 million with land reclamation likely to gobble up some US$0.9 million.
The concession area reportedly has a potential to produce some 275,000 ounces of gold from hard rock material on the concession and up to 40,000 from soft rock resources, which will be the initial focus of the gold recovery process.
The project will be executed under the following local statutes and international regulations: Agenda 21, the National Environmental Action Plan, Environ-mental Protection Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines, Environ-mental Protection Regulations, the Mining Act and Mining Regulations, the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1997, the Forestry Act and Policy and the Wild Birds Protection Act.
During the mine life and after the cessation of the operations, care will be taken to minimise the impact or footprint of the mine. There will be continuous reclamation of the areas as exploitation ceases.
The area of the concession to be mined is 84 miles southeast of Lethem and the villages in the vicinity of the project are Aishalton (1,200 residents), Krowdar & Lumedpaw (1,000 residents), Achuwib (480 residents), Marunawa (750 residents), Waruwaunawa (500 residents), Shea (580 residents) and Kuiwini (1,000 residents).The villages nearest to the proposed mining area are Aishalton, which is about 17 miles away, Krowdar which is just under 12.5 miles away and Achuwib, about 27 miles away. Of the three only Krowdar is directly linked to the mine site by road.
At the meeting officials from Roma-nex and Ground Structures Engineering Consultants responded to the concerns raised by the representatives of the various communities.
The report addresses concerns raised at the scoping meeting in October, where they were representatives from those
lages as well as from Shea and Karau-darnau, which were obtained by radio contact.
Concerns
Among the concerns raised at the meeting were the presence and quantity of mercury in the hard rock, the spread of disease and the possibility of the introduction of new diseases in the areas, the attendant problems such as crime and the use of illicit drugs, the possibility of the emission of the machines contributing to global warming, the introduction of and the problems associated with prostitution, compensation for villages and villagers should they be affected by a spill, the threat of the increase of malaria as a result of the open-pit mining to be used, migration of animals and the loss of income-earning opportunities as a result of being unable to access the concession area and about the decrease in stream flow and ground water flow.
Concerns were expressed too about the effect the project would have on the surrounding communities particularly the women, the kinds of persons that would be employed at the mines and plans for training Amerindians for jobs other than the menial tasks they are normally given.
Climate, water, wildlife
The report addresses the impact of the project on the climate, which it says may result in lowered temperatures in the project area but that this would be counteracted by the increased temperature likely from the exposure of areas that are now below the forest canopy.
In terms of the impact of the project on the air quality, the report says carbon monoxide, methane and other volatile organics that will be emitted from burning the cleared vegetation will be within the Air Quality Standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The mining operations, the report says, could impact the ground water quality as a result of the possible leaching of chemicals from the soil piles consisting of waste material from the mining and processing phases, the infiltration of waste water from the tailings management area and by leaching of minerals into the solution from the mine itself, and the periodic introduction of dissolved minerals into the ground water flow regime. However, it says "the presence of dissolved minerals in the ground water can change the pH of the groundwater in the area. The minerals present in the soil constitute part of the geochemistry of the area. The impact of their dissolution will consequently be minimal."
As to the possible impact on surface water quality, the report says "discharge from the tailings dam is unlikely to occur based on engineering design and controls incorporated into the dam.
It says too that the operation of the mine "can however result in indirect impact on fishes" should additional nutrient loads be introduced to the streams as of the introduction of sediment by surface runoff. Also, the possibility of denitrification and increased oxygen consumption makes the environment less conducive to the survival of the fishes. However, it asserts "no discharges to surface water will occur during mining and process. The effects on fishes will therefore be minimal."
About the impact on land use the report notes that the project will result in a change of the vegetation cover over a relatively small area of the site, explaining that no more than 200 hectares of the 6,000-hectare concession would be impacted by the mining operations. "This will increase soil erosion, soil compaction, and nutrient leaching from the surificial soils. Nutrient leaching is, however, expected to be miniscule since most nutrients in tropical forest environment are locked up in living vegetation and relatively little nutrient is present in the soil due to the high decomposition rates of dead organic matter in tropical forest environments."
In terms of the impact on wildlife, it says the installation of facilities and other construction work will form temporary barriers to the movement of animals including access to water bodies. "People working on the project may harvest commercially valuable animal and plant species. Species population may decrease." It noted too that waterfowl and waders which would be attracted to the tailings pond and the reclaimed ponds in the area are likely to be harvested by people in the project area.
Jobs, education, health
About the socio-economic impact on the communities in the area, the report notes "employment of both skilled and unskilled labour may bring financial benefits to the communities" and warned that "if most of the unskilled project employees are hired from outside the communities, it may lead to a reinforcement of the belief that development of the area is not meant to benefit residents of the surrounding communities."
Other beneficial impacts the report says are likely from the project are improved education standards and services in the communities as a result of the demand for skilled labour generated by the project.
About the effect of noise on the fauna in the area the report says the continuous noise may disrupt acoustic communication and may lead to changes in behaviour as it relates to mating, food gathering, warning signals and brood care in areas near the noise emission sources.
About one the health impacts of the projects the report notes "The need for people to relocate to the area may see the introduction of behavioural diseases due to increases in population densities. The arrival of workers and migrant settlers from various localities and regions with diverse cultural and social backgrounds will increase the concentration of people in a formerly isolated rural area and may result in increase in sexually transmissible diseases, the spread of locally prevalent contagious diseases and the introduction of new diseases as yet unknown in the area of the project."
The report in a comment on leaving the area as it is currently says "No-action is unlikely to attract investors to the area. The absence of roads and electricity would serve as a deterrent to prospective investors. Since the demand for skilled labour would remain stagnant, no-action may lead educated groups to migrate in search for better job opportunities."
Mitigating and minimising
The environmental management plan being proposed by the Romanex is aimed at mitigating and minimizing the identified environmental consequence and incorporates measures that include protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures. It has also developed a separate monitoring plan to assess the effectiveness of the management plan.
To minimise the impact on surface water quality, the reports says the mine would be developed in a way that to ensure minimum disturbance to streams and creeks in the area. "In instances where this cannot be avoided, sediment control structures and practices will be used o prevent the inflow of sediment to surface water. The control practices will include sediment traps or screens to control run-off and sedimentation. Surface runoff from the workshop and other vehicle service areas will be channelled to an oil/water separator, if necessary. All water from the oil/water separator will be skimmed prior to discharge; site clearing operations will progress in a gradual phased manner to ensure there are no large increases in surface runoff."
And in relation to the tailings pond the report said "it will be sited in areas of low soil permeability to ensure minimum discharge to groundwater. In addition, the bottom of the tailings pond will be above the high groundwater level and it will be designed with minimum surface area required to satisfy capacity constraints."
The report adds that the tailings pond will also be surrounded by berms to prevent uncontrolled discharges to surface water and to preclude surface runoff from entering the tailings area. The part of the tailing pond ground level will be designed to prevent slope failure and the associated release of tailings to the environment. It said too that the tailings pond area would be patrolled to prevent fauna from straying into the pond.
Waste management, conservation, erosion
In terms of waste management, the report says solid waste from the operation of the camp will be recycled, composted or disposed of in secure areas designed in accordance with guidelines provide by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Food waste and organic water will be composted and the composted material will be used as fertiliser for re-vegetation of the reclaimed areas. Septic waste will be managed by a series of septic tanks on site and the discharge from these tanks will be channelled through a granular filter bed prior to discharge. The content of the tanks will be emptied once a month or as dictated by capacity constraints, by a licensed operator in accordance with EPA guidelines.
Ashes from burning vegetation the report says will be added to the overburden soil and will be used for land reclamation. The coarse fraction of the tailings waste will be used in the construction of sediment-control structures onsite. The fine fraction tailings will be used to maintain both site access roads and roads within the mine site.
To address the likely negative impacts on air quality noise and dust, the reports says water will be sprinkled on roads and other conveying routes and stockpiles to control dust emissions. It says too that a bonding agent such as molasses would be used if it reduces the frequency with which the road would have to be sprinkled with water.
Noise emission is planned to be addressed by appropriate soundproofing of individual pieces of equipment; also equipment will be fitted with special exhaust systems (mufflers). The miners will also be required to wear personal noise protection gear e.g. noise protectors.
The draft report says that a catchment area plan that will help ensure the operational lifetime of the project through the control of siltation and through the reduction of erosion. The plan will take cognizance of the regional development plan, including plans of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and will include plans for areas downstream of the mine site.
The report says the objective of the plan will be to maintain as closely as possible the original pre-project hydrological runoff characteristics of the project area. It will address the protection and conservation of local natural resources and contain measures for safeguarding water for future development. It will also, the report says, ensure that water quality and security of water supply is provided to transient people who use waters of the streams in the area.
In terms of logging in the area, the catchment area plan calls for the appropriate use and choice of cutting implements and machinery, selective felling, establishment of buffer areas around the mine, closure of roads after completion of logging activities and regular monitoring of logging areas to ensure no encroachment.
Monitoring
The report says that the monitoring programme is an integral part of the operational activities of the mine and is expected to generate the required information for environmental management and environmental information dissemination. It says too that the environmental aspect of the monitoring plan is structured to monitor the physical, biological and socio-economic changes in the environment if any and the mitigation measures.
As a consequence, among other things, monitoring programmes will establish water quality standards for all water discharges from the sites based on consultations with the EPA and the GGMC. Samples of wastewater flowing out of sediment control structures will be recovered twice per year and will be analysed for the parameters identified by the EPA and GGMC.
The programmes call for the overburden areas to be monitored to determine the integrity of the containment berm around the base since the berm is intended to prevent sediment flows from the area to surface water bodies. The piles will also be monitored to ensure their height and slopes do not exceed the tolerable limits and dust emissions from the piles will be visually monitored and corrective action implemented when required.
The tailings pond will be monitored once a month or as dictated by the EPA to visually determine its structural integrity. It is also to be inspected to determine seepage through the dam and to ensure that adequate free board exists for its continued use.
The programmes also provide for inventories of hazardous waste to be monitored to ensure that all material is used for the purposes intended. Waste containment areas are to be monitored to ensure that the impervious surface upon which they are sited is not breached. They also call for the area to be monitored to ensure that incompatible chemicals are not stored together and that storm water discharges from the area are channelled to the sedimentation pond.
The reports says the programmes provide for the solid waste disposal operations to be monitored to determine the effectiveness of the recycling, composting and disposal operations and manifests to be developed to ensure proper disposal of septic tank waste. It also calls for the ashes from the firing of vegetation to be mixed with mine overburden material prior to being placed in the reclamation area. Waste from the mine pit will be monitored to ensure that the coarse and fine fractions are used for mine reclamation and road construction within the mining concession only.
The report says Romanex has prepared an emergency response plan for the mine and ancillary facilities which identifies supplies and resources to be utilised in the event of a failure of the tailing facilities, slope failure in the mine or fuel/oil spill to waterways in the project area.
The plan defines responsibilities and provides procedures designed to identify unusual and unlikely conditions which may endanger the facilities in time to take remedial action and to notify the appropriate public officials of possible, impending, or actual imperilment of the environment. It contains notification procedures to safeguard the lives of citizens and to safeguard the environment on areas downstream of the mine site in the event an emergency develops.
It covers situations such as an imminent emergency, a slowly developing emergency, an earthquake among possible unusual conditions and the procedures to be followed and the officials to be notified.