EPA exempts two companies from impact studies for quarry licences

Southern Canton International Trading Inc has applied for a quarry licence to operate within the Mazaruni mining district and is one of two quarrying companies that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted from Environmental Impact Assessments.

With a planned investment of US$11.7 million, Southern Canton International Trading Inc is applying for 2,289 acres for quarry potential, referred to as Turiruba in the Korerit and Mazaruni Rivers, in Region Seven.

“The company is applying for the area known as Turrialba, Durban Quarry, which is actively being mined for quarriable material. The project summary states that a pre-feasibility study shows the area has approximately 9,838,178 tonnes and that the project can be profitable once (a) detailed drilling program is done to confirm the initial appraisal.

“The Blasting Proximity puts every one out of the radius, so no harm will come to anyone. To produce a ton of material it is going to cost approximately $1375 Guyana dollars and the company will probably make approximately … $6.9 million USD in the first year of production,” it adds.

The company says it will produce 200,000 metric tonnes of stone annually and will mine 20 acres at a time.

According to its project proposal, the area has an estimated volume of 9,838,178 metric tonnes of stone.

“Southern Canton International Trading Inc. is looking to invest more than $3 million USD to get the project started. A total of $11.7 million USD for capital Investment and Life of Mine,” the project summary states.

It estimates the payback period at approximately one year and the open pit operating cost to be US$3.99 per tonne and crushing cost is US$2.25 per tonne.

Another company, Highland Quarries Inc., has applied for quarrying permission to mine at Wineperu or Puruni Creek, also within the Mazaruni Mining District 3.

“The Area encompasses 1200 acres. The PAPA is an ultramafic rock suite with an estimated 2.8 million tons of

Aggregates. St. Mary’s and Monkey Jump quarry are approximately 3.5km north of the proposed quarry area. The properties have a probable 3.7 million tons of quarriable materials. The area has excellent quarry potential and straightforward logic.

Highland Quarries Inc. says that the potential Quarry Operations has a startup capital of USD 3.61 Million and a total investment of US$10.13 Million to be made.

It is expected to produce 200,000 tonnes of stone annually, increasing capacity by 10% every year for the estimated 15-year mine life of the project.

Explaining that a reconnaissance investigation or site visit was carried out in the third week of January this year, the company said that it confirmed the properties’ potential for quarriable materials.

“The area is very suited for quarry operations. It has both Gabbro and Granodiorite. The Gabbro is suited for construction, whereas the Granodiorite is suited for sea defence. They have been found in substantial quantity and numerous outcrops. The Gabbro has an estimated reserve of 2,800,000 tons of aggregates,” the project profile states.

Minister of Housing Susan Rodrigues had in March this year explained that government’s granting of additional quarry licences had been informed by high demand.

“We are aware that suppliers are struggling at the moment to fill their orders and this is why government had granted additional quarry licences. And this is why we have ensured that we zero-rate the taxes on construction materials and so on.”

“Measures we have implemented make it easy for people to build their home and projects and to also make it cheaper,” she added.

With the passage of the 2021 national budget, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said that demand will be even higher as more material would be needed to execute capital projects, worth billions of dollars, earmarked for this year.