France Green-lights Gold Mine Inside French Guyana's Only National Park
Tensions have risen in the small Amazonian community of Saül in French Guiana after locals discovered that the French government approved a large-scale gold mining operation near their town—and inside French Guiana's only national park—against their wishes. Run by mining company, Rexma, locals and scientists both fear that the mine would lead to deforestation, water pollution, and a loss in biodiversity for a community dependent on the forest and ecotourism.
The gold mine isn't necessarily illegal despite occurring inside the Guiana Amazonian Park. Tropical ecologist Sébastien Brosse, who has long worked in the region, says that a portion of the park is open to such activities.
"[Gold mining company] Rexma asked for a permit in the 'free adhesion' zone of the national park where industrial activities are not systematically excluded," he explained to mongabay.com. However, he adds that such industrial projects must be "submitted to the agreement of the national park and of the local population."
Here the reaction has been clear. "Since the beginning, both refused this mining project," Brosse says, who has studied the negative impact of gold mining on local fish and algae. Rexma's proposal was approved by the French government's minister of Production Recovery, Arnaud Montebourg, last year. While the project was initially pushed forward under the past administration, the current government—under Francois Hollande—has let the approval stand. French Guiana remains an overseas department of France, and not an independent nation, meaning that such decisions are often made in Paris not Cayenne. While there is a locally elected body, they are overseen by a prefect appointed by the French President.
EDIT
http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0115-hance-gold-mine-saul.html