Government suspends license for mining in Aranaputa village, North Rupununi

Days after the Region Nine Chairman, Bryan Allicock and interest groups voiced their concern and objected to the granting of a license for mining to be done in the North Rupununi village of Aranaputa, the Ministry of Natural Resources has suspended the license which had been granted to a foreign company.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, traveled to the community this midday and held discussions with the concerned residents and regional officials.

During the meeting, the Minister announced the decision that the license which had been granted to Sol Nascente Incoporated has been suspended.

Regional Chairman, Bryan Allicock, welcomed the decision to suspend the mining license. He had complained that there was no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) done ahead of the mining agreement that was signed between the company and the Aranaputa Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

The Regional Chairman was present at the meeting earlier today with the Minister of Natural Resources.

Speaking to News Source this afternoon, Mr. Allicock said the suspension should be final, since the effects of mining could have been devastated for several communities in the North Rupununi.

**Minister Bharrat addressing residents and community leaders earlier today**

“We can’t destroy something that we have worked for, for many years to preserve, the wetlands of the Rupununi, because where this land is to mine is actually the headwaters and creeks and the fishes come up there to spawn, and the water does not tell you how high it would come. So regardless of what they say, the water will come there and take away all the pollutants from there to the river. And you have about 6,000 residents who would have suffered. So the Minister pronounced on it and has suspended the mining license”, Allicock explained.

He further stated that there should be no mining in the area and the suspension should forever remain in place.

“We have asked for it to be suspended completely. I asked the President to stop it”, Allicock said.

The Region Nine Chairman further said Village Councils and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils should be cautious when entering agreements and should involve the communities.

***The signing of the mining agreement in early March being witnessed by the Amerindian Affairs Minister***

“Even though they said they did consultations, it was only with a few people and not the entire communities in the north, which would have been affected”, Chairman Allicock said.

When the agreement was signed two weeks ago, the signing was witnessed by Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, who was on a visit to the community.

Details about the foreign company and the mining operations it planned to undertake were very sketchy, and many residents and community leaders voiced their concerns.

In a statement today, non-profit group, Visit Rupununi expressed deep concern about the mining plan and stated that mining of that nature has no place anywhere in the Rupununi.