[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in its continued ‘Operation El Dorado’ have been able to crack down on several illegal mining camps.
A team of officials from the GGMC recently conducted a series of monitoring and enforcement exercises within the mining districts with a primary focus on prospecting property holders.
According to a press release from the Natural Resources Ministry, this exercise was conducted utilizing the services of the Guyana Police Force and the Air Corps of the Guyana Defense Force.
Investigations revealed that several illegal mining operations were ongoing on a property that was intended for only prospecting purposes. The Commission has since been instructed to take necessary actions against the licence holder as provided under the Mining Act, according to the Natural Resources Ministry.
However, the Ministry did not release the name of the licence holder. Clause 1 of the Prospecting Licence Agreement states that “The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission under Section 30 of the Mining Act 1989, has granted the above mentioned tract of land for the purpose of prospecting for gold and valuable minerals but not to be worked for profit, to be given out to lessees or tributors, for a period of three years.”
The GGMC is reminding all prospecting license and mineral property holders to be guided by the conditions as stipulated with the licenses.
According to the GGMC, several other areas have been targeted and similar monitoring and compliance exercises will commence soon,
