SRDC Alarmed by Fuel Spill in Creek

The South Rupununi District Council (“SRDC”), the representative institution of the 21 communities in the South Rupununi, expresses its grave concern over the pollution of Ikizapa Wao (“creek”), which falls within Aishalton Village’s titled lands, by a large diesel spill. Last Wednesday, October 10, 2019, the SRDC received reports that a truck owned by V. Dalip Enterprise and carrying over 100 drums of fuel broke the Ikaazupu Wao bridge, causing the truck to then topple over and spill approximately 30 drums of diesel into the creek.

This creek flows into Tooto Wao, which in turn flows in to Kwitaro River. Our people not only in Aishalton Village but also in the villages of Awarewaunau, Maruranau and Shea depend upon this river ecosystem. This fuel spill and pollution of such critical waterways will harm our fishes, wildlife, and livelihoods. Our people fish and hunt in these rivers and creeks.

This fuel spill provides just one example of the concerns raised last week at the just concluded National Toshaos Conference. Kid James, project coordinator for the SRDC, had expressed concerns about the damage that mining trucks and excavators have caused to transport infrastructure in the South Rupununi. He recommended that the Government of Guyana review and improve its policies and laws on mining, including on the way mining concessions are issued and on the environmental, social, human rights, economic, and infrastructural impacts of mining. Importantly, the Government of Guyana must also improve the enforcement of laws and regulations. The review and improvement of these laws, policies, and enforcement measures must be done in conjunction with indigenous peoples, who are the ones most impacted by mining activities. Mr. James’ statements were echoed by representatives and Toshaos of other communities and regions in Guyana, and the final resolution of the NTC Conference reflected these concerns and included associated recommendations.

This latest environmental catastrophe only serves to reinforce the need for the effective development and implementation of the headwaters protection plan already agreed upon between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the SRDC. The plan for the protection of the headwaters of the Kwitaro and Kuyuwini Rivers is currently under discussion between the Ministry and the SRDC and would ban mining in and near those rivers and aim to preserve the health of those waterways. We look forward to working with the Ministry to jointly develop and implement this important measure for the protection of our waterways, our environment, and our land, and we hope it will serve as a useful model for other communities in Guyana as they struggle with their own mining-related issues.