Georgetown: Guyana is receiving support in delaying the phasing out of mercury use in gold mining.
According to Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, the issue of mercury is a contentious one, with miners and authorities admitting no cheaper, alternative methods at the moment.
It was decided that Latin American and Caribbean countries should seek allowable exemptions for products such as batteries, measuring devices, switches and relays, topical antiseptics, and various lamp categories. It was also noted that these exemptions might necessitate the institution of a licencing regime at the national level to facilitate the regulation of the importation of mercury-based products and mercury elemental and mercury compounds for use in sectors such as Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM).
Guyana’s main arguments in the negotiations were noted in its position paper which was prepared by an interdisciplinary committee comprising of stakeholders from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Geology and Mines Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association.
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