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In Guyana, the opponents to the gold mine leave in fight against the Hope project

"We struggled for a long time against the Mountain of gold, ( ... ), and now here is a new project not even 30 kilometers", breath Antoine Lamoraille, a membe

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In Guyana, the opponents to the gold mine leave in fight against the Hope project

"We struggled for a long time against the Mountain of gold, ( ... ), and now here is a new project not even 30 kilometers", breath Antoine Lamoraille, a member of the collective Gold of question, mobilized against another mining project controversial in French Guiana.

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At 76 years of age, this artist guyanese and environmental activist opposed to the project of extracting gold industrial size, Expectancy, considered in the communes of Apatou and Grand-Santi, in four-hour motorized pirogue of Saint-Laurent du Maroni, in an inhabited region, with forest and river an exceptional biodiversity.

This project of gold mine open pit is carried by the american Newmont and its local partner, the mining Company Esperance (CME), headed by the president of the Federation of mine operators in French Guiana, Carol Ostorero. The operators promise that their project will create in Guyana "220 to 335 direct jobs and at least as many indirect jobs".

In the nearest community of Hope, in Providence, at the edge of the river Maroni, "nobody speaks about this project", recognise two inhabitants interviewed by AFP. This lieu-dit of sixty inhabitants, is the pool of life a hundred families whose children go to school in a canoe.

at the End of April, in full confinement, the commission départementale des mines, gave an advisory opinion favorable to the beginnings of the project. It supported the renewal for "10 years" of the current concession of Hope, and for a partial extension.

operators interested in particular, to a deposit of at least 65 tonnes" of gold, a few deposits to alluvial deposits and the "potential" of "2.6 to 3.6 tonnes of gold," trapped in a pile of rocks torn from the ground and stored for more than ten years of on-site.

"The prospects are still uncertain," according to a report from the administration consulted by the AFP. "7 to 8 years" of exploratory studies are still necessary to confirm the opening of a mine, said the prefecture.

"environmental Requirements"

Opposed to mining in Guyana, Gold Question, which brings together dozens of NGOS, "continues the fight", explains the collective to the AFP, in particular for a moratorium on cyanide and that "the creation of an international tribunal for judging the crimes écocidaires".

In an op-ed published in Libération, and signed by personalities such as european parliament member Yannick Jadot (ELLV), the collective deplores the fact that the project "looks very much like its predecessor," Mountain gold project mégamine today to the stop against which he fought.

The minister of the ecological Transition Elizabeth Terminal has ensured that the opinion of the commission was "not the authorization of exploitation" and that "as for the Mountain of Gold", it would be opposed "to any proposal that does not take into account our environmental requirements".

In the administrative documents, CME asserts itself as a "responsible actor" who "undertakes to control the impact of its operations on the environment." But the company has already had several recalls in environmental matters. From 2019, it is the subject of an "administrative oversight" by the State on the site of Hope. Because for 30 years, the operator has conducted its activities without the approval of opening of mining works (AOTM), which allows the technical monitoring by the State of compliance with environmental regulations and mining. "The applications had been filed" but nothing has resulted, meets Carol Ostorero. An application "filed in 2010, has not been educated," confirms the report of the directors.

CME has "failed to comply with its obligations," says Ms. Ostorero, stressing that the company was"one of the first firms" in Guyana to implement alternatives to the use of mercury to extract the gold, editor's note), and that "the different impact studies" to Hope "have never statement of significant quantities of mercury".

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CME has also been the subject of a "formal notice" by the prefect in 2019 for the illegal presence on the "80 acres" facilities potentially harmful or a risk for the environment. The family Ostorero is also prosecuted for suspicion of environmental pollution on a site for gold in the commune of Mana. The trial in correctional scheduled for Friday has been postponed because of the epidemic.

The editorial team conseilleBrésil : among the natives of the Amazon basin, of the plants against the coronavirus53 commentairesCedric 33le 21/05/2020 01:29

What a shame. 've already seen what looks like a gold mine ? It is the absolute wilderness, a mud-hole gigantic which has an impact on a lot of watersheds by runoff. This area is home to a rich forest, with animals galore , and that attracts the tourists and which allows people living nearby to benefit from his wealth. a
200 jobs to thousands of acres ravaged for hundreds of years ? a
Stop looking at the short term and save this forest!!!! France must show the example !!

Paul Ahimsãle 20/05/2020 23:11

the filing of an appeal against a project such as this is unacceptable ! in fact, it should not be possible to request permission to do such a project. The nature is the Future while the gold ... except for a handful of jewelers (who do a very nice job) , some physicists and a few chemists why do we need gold ?we would be more brilliant to prohibit purely and simply all gold mining, the whole search of oil, gold, coal or other in order to preserve the few acres, "where the hand of Man has never set foot" as someone has said.
This Mrs. Ostorero has reason to try but she needs to know that the price to pay for this exploitation is much higher than everything she owns, much too high for her and for all those who want to do as it, the fear has to change de camps, the nature is no longer to tremble.

Gratellele 20/05/2020 15:09

It is necessary to condition any new permission :
The total eradication of the goldwashing.
The implementation of the stringent standards of the farms reported, it is very far from the account at the moment. a
payment by the interested parties for any damage caused by the projects for exploration or exploitation of abandoned including by foreign companies, canadian and other. a
While this is technically possible provided you have the political will.
It is not necessary to forbid to open a new site but without a rearrangement of the existing this would add the disorder to the disorder. a
To have seen on site the damage caused by exploitation out-of-control I have doubts as to the result on the capacity of the State to enforce one's own operating.

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