EPA says Gold Hill sand mine needs no full environmental study
The agency says this decision does not mean the mine is approved.
The Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that the Gold Hill Sand Project, run by CEALT Logistics Inc., will not have a big effect on the environment. So the project does not need an Environmental Impact Assessment, or EIA. An EIA is a full study of how a project could affect the environment.
The EPA published its decision on 19 October 2026. It had looked at the company's application for an environmental permit. The application is for a sand mine at block GS23: C-1091/MP/000/26. The site is where the Cheong's and the Arobaio Creek meet.
The agency added a warning. It said the decision is in no way a sign that the project is approved.
INews Guyana reported that the EPA made the same point in a statement on how it screens projects. The agency said a finding that no full EIA is needed does not mean a project is approved on its own. It also does not mean the company can work without controls, the agency said. It said it checks the type of activity, the place, the materials and the risks. It also said it does not drop studies at random.
The Guyana Times has said an "EIA not required" decision is only an early step in the process of getting approval.
The Environmental Protection Agency (Guyana) has screened this spot before, according to an earlier document. That screening covered another sand and loam mine, listed as Fay Prescott. That mine sits where Cheong's Creek and the Arobaio Creek meet in Region 4. The agency also concluded in that case that no EIA was needed.
The agency has reached the same finding on other projects. It found that The Arcade will not have a big effect on the environment. Peak Development Inc. proposed The Arcade, a multi-purpose commercial facility, at Parcel 4874, Block 3, Providence, East Bank Demerara, Region 4. The EPA found the same for a poultry rearing facility proposed by Adsol Service Inc.
EPA notices on such decisions say that anyone who may be affected by a proposed project can appeal. The appeal must come within thirty days of the notice being published.