The president of WWF France pointed the finger at the two mining projects, during a press briefing in Cayenne, Sunday.

The WWF France president, navigator Isabelle Autissier, on Sunday expressed her opposition to two large-scale mining projects in Guyana, including the Gold Mountain gold mine.

"It is urgent to reduce our carbon impact ," she said during a press briefing in Cayenne, saying she hoped "that the territorial community and the state will have a true sustainable vision" for Guyana.

"It would be strange, if not more, on behalf of the French State given the positioning of the president, Macron " champion of the land " " that the project Montagne d'Or passes because it "goes in the opposite of sustainability is an energy chasm, " she said.

Predation of the basement

"The forest in Guyana is a considerable asset" , it can allow the "development of activities and solid jobs" through a "sustainable" approach and not by "predation" of the subsoil, Ms. Autissier added, in response to the largest French open-pit gold mine project which, according to the mining consortium (Columbus gold-Nordgold), is expected to create 750 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs, and the end of training by the services of the State is expected by the end of the year.

Isabelle Autissier also recalled the "opposition" firm of the non-governmental association to the project of Total to dig in the coming months one to five deep submarine wells (up to 3,000 meters) about 200 kilometers from the coast of Guyana in search of hydrocarbons.

Total answers "not very solid"

"Total's responses" to the risks of an oil spill and disturbance to marine biodiversity through drilling, explosions or disposal of drill cuttings at sea "are not very strong," said WWF president .

"As a whole," the file of Total "is well built" , concluded a few weeks ago the commission of inquiry, after the investigation which took place from July 16 to August 23.

However, the report pointed out the "weakness" of impact studies on the "toxicity of the products used" , "the impact on marine macrofauna, particularly of underwater noise" and the incomplete " modeling " of the consequences of a tide. black .

The prefect of Guyana will have to vote in favor or against the Total project in the coming months.