A public enquiryinto the leakage of cyanide inAugust from a gold mine -one of South America'slargest - has been stymiedbecause it has run out of witnesses.
An "environmental disaster" is how the Guyanesegovernment had dubbed theleak of an estimated 3.5 million cubic metres of cyanidewaste into a tributary of theEssequibo river. The company responsible for theleakage, Omai Gold Mines,prefers to call it an "industrial accident" and says it willprovide compensation forany damage caused by thecyanideleak.
Though the Canadianowned mine shut down inAugust for an indefinite period, it now feels it is ready torestart operations byDecember. The governmenthowever, chooses to differ.Guyana's president, CheddiJagan, is quite clear that themine will be reopened only ifthe government is convincedthat there is no further risk ofcyanide leakage in the future.