Public Debate Report out The report based on the public debate which concluded in July was published today. Unfortunately, the 140 page document appears available only in French (unless someone else has a source?). However, a too brief summary of the major areas that NG should focus on was provided and is included below. Seems as long as NG/CGT can meet the issues expressed in the report, then unless they are challenged by the green groups in the French court there is not much standing between the mine and permitting, NG has until the end of Dec 2018 to bring out their responding report, which will basically be a finalized ESIA.
Between March 7 and July 7, 2018 was held public debate on the Montagne d'Or project in French Guiana. Various devices were deployed and nearly 1500 people participated in the meetings organized. In addition, more than 5,900 visits were recorded on the online participation platform . 232 opinions, 211 questions, 184 comments, 39 contributions and 16 notebooks were sent to the public debate. These figures are important given the geography of the place. The opinions, questions and contributions expressed were particularly developed and elaborated.
Public participation has shown some fractures in Guyanese society. Some points are worthy of mention:
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The participation of some politicians and economic actors, rather favorable to the project, was relatively limited.
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The representatives of the Amerindian populations, the associative actors and the customary chiefs generally expressed their opposition to this project. Despite the translation into one of the indigenous languages of the questionnaire addressed to the population to prepare the public debate, the Bushmen and Hmong populations were less present in the public meetings.
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The debate has gone well beyond the borders of Guyana. Indeed, a predominantly metropolitan, but also international, participation was noticed on the online participatory platform.
In the event that the Montagne d'Or mining company, project owner, decides to continue its project, the particular commission considers that it will in particular need:
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Do not underestimate the importance of respect for places of memory;
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Improve transparency around the project;
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Be precise and complete on the determination of the measures to be taken in risk management, which also applies to the State services;
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To test, where possible, several hypotheses on the sensitive elements of the project;
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Pay attention to the recommendations of BRGM experts;
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Give preference to solutions that minimize risks and impacts, this seems to be a guarantee of relevance of the concept of responsible mine.
The Montagne d'Or Mining Company now has 3 months, until December 7, 2018, to make public, in a national newspaper and a local newspaper, the follow-up given to its project. It may decide to abandon the project, or to continue it with orientations more or less different from those it had originally imagined, taking into account the contributions of the debate.
In the event that it decides to continue the project, the mining company would specify the main changes made and indicate the measures deemed necessary to put in place to respond to the lessons, opinions and expectations expressed during the debate.
At the end of the public debate, if the developer decides to continue his project, the CNDP will appoint one or more guarantors to ensure the proper information and participation of the public until the opening of the investigation public.
GLTA