GEO Haiti 2010

State of the Environment Report 2010
Types Geographic location Explanation
Gold& Copper
Copper
Nikel
Al
Mémé
(Terre Neuve, Gonaïves)
Douvray
Blondin
Grand bassin; Presqu’ile du
Sud; Kensccoff; Trouin; les Irois
Paillant
(South Miragoâne))
Beaumont (between les
Cayes and Jérémie)
Copper ore – 1,500,000 tons
and a content of 2 g Au/t.
85,000,000 tons of ore with 0.53% of Cu
50,000,000 tons with 0.50% of Cu
Some data obtained but not evaluated
Presence of Al as laterite-type bauxite
deposits, 2,500,000 tons with 51.1%
aluminum et 2.93% silica still available
after the period of mining by the company
«Reynolds Haitian Mines» from 1957 to 1982.
Deposit containing 48.0% Al 2
O 3
et 2.4% SiO 2
117
Other Bauxite
deposits
Savannah Zombie (Thiotte)
Fond Dambi (Gonaïves)
Deposit containing 48.0% Al 2
O 3
et 6.8% SiO 2
Deposit containing 49.3%
Al 2
O 3
et 1.36% SiO 2
Source: www.bme.gouv.ht, 2005
Non-metallic mineral resources are used in
several areas, notably in the construction and
cement industries, as a raw material. Deposits
of lignite, granite rocks, aggregate, deposits of
limestone and marble, clay, gypsum and guano
(material formed from the accumulation of
seabird droppings) have been identified in many
parts of the country. The following ores, among
others, have been assessed: CaCO calabash (near
Miragoane) at 7.5 million tons; at Paillant (South
Miragoâne) at 140 million tons, and Pozzolana
Vigie (Saut d’Eau) at 3,200,000 m³.
6.1.2 Status of Resources
The available data has revealed that the mining
resources in Haiti are under-exploited. The minerals
for the construction sector seem most exploited
although most of these operations are carried out
in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.
With respect to legislation, the country possesses
regulations on the operation of mines. These,
in force since 1976 and revised in 1990-1991,
describe the conditions for granting prospecting,
exploration and exploitation permits including
the granting of concessions. In this context, a
mining concession was signed by the Haitian
government granting a concession to the
Ste Genevieve Company (SGV) in 1997, and a
research permit for a small gold mine at Faille B,
and copper ore mines at Douvray and Blondin.
To ensure that mining is carried out effectively,
laws should not only be adapted to the country’s
existing situation, but should also be applied as
to alleviate the current conditions prevailing in
most of the quarries in exploitation.
6.2 Quarries
According to specialists, the quarrying and
supply of building materials contribute to the
environmental degradation in Haiti, yet despite
this, extraction methods have not improved.
Moreover, governments seem unable to resolve
the situation.