CDC conducts consultation on draft National Oil Spill Contingency Plan …says framework handed over to Govt.

Mar 29, 2018 ExxonMobil, News

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By Kiana Wilburg
Conscious of the need to protect human life and the environment, the Government, through the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), has made moves towards developing a national oil spill contingency plan.
The first draft, which was put together by a small team of locals mostly from the CDC, has been handed over to Government. This is according by Captain John R. Flores, Director of Maritime Safety. He was at the time, delivering remarks at the stakeholders’ consultation on the draft contingency plan. The event was held at the CDC’s Thomas Lands office.
Flores started his presentation with a short video that highlighted the devastating effects that oil spills can have on the environment. The video made reference to some of the world’s most horrifying oil spills such as the ExxonMobil Valdez and the Deepwater Horizon.
Along with considering the inherent risks of drilling for oil, Flores said that Guyana is a member to several organizations, which mandate that it has a contingency oil spill plan. He said that these organizations include the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The official also noted that Guyana is a signatory to the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Director of Maritime Safety said that several documents were used as a reference point for the creation of the framework. He said that these included the IMO’s manual on guidelines to be followed in the creation of an oil spill plan, draft procedures that Guyana’s authorities had from years ago, and oil spill plans by other nations such as Trinidad and Tobago.
Flores also noted that the framework speaks to some key positions, which would require appointments. In this regard, he noted that there would be a need for someone to oversee how dispersants would be used during an oil spill cleanup.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman was quick to congratulate the Civil Defence Commission for their efforts in moving preparations forward to finalize the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
The Minister said, “When one engages Guyanese on the Coast or in the interior locations, two issues are often raised, jobs and our preparation for a potential oil spill. This tells us that the topic is a high priority for Guyanese, so no effort must be spared in ensuring that we are prepared for any eventualities.”
Trotman continued, “As you are aware, on May 15, 2015, Guyanese woke up to the reality that we have large quantities of Petroleum in the Liza 1 well located approximately 123 miles offshore Guyana. Six successful wells later, those initial reserves have now grown considerably from the initial reserves estimate of 800 million barrels of oil equivalent to 3.2 billion barrels and counting.”
The Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) added, “With every new find, the importance of a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan takes on an even more important role. While as a government, we are cognizant of the potential risks which come with developing this newfound petroleum resource, we are equally committed to the protection of our environment and Guyana continues to be a fierce proponent for its protection internationally.”
As the lead agency tasked with completing the process of creating a comprehensive National Oil Spill Contingency Plan to guide national response, Trotman said that the Civil Defence Commission can be assured of the full support of the Government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources.
He noted that support mobilization has already begun since 2017 with the procurement of four containers of oil spill response equipment and accessories including booms, skimmers, dispersants, etc.
Trotman said that these are presently stored at the CDC’s Alternate National Emergency Operations Centre (ANEOC) at Timehri, and will soon be pre-positioned at various locations to facilitate ease in deployment should the need arise.
Also in 2017, Trotman reminded that the Ministry of Natural Resources held a Public Lecture on Oil Spill Response Readiness in collaboration with ExxonMobil and the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) to promote awareness and address concerns surrounding this very important topic.
Further, the Natural Resources Minister said that capacity building is forthcoming through training for stakeholder representatives in the areas of Incident Command Systems (ICS) and Fundamentals of Oil Spill Management. He said that these training exercises will be held between April 23-28, 2018 at the CDC’s Emergency Operations Centre at Timehri and Splashmin’s Resort respectively.
Trotman noted that stakeholder involvement at all levels is also critical to the development of a robust plan that can hold its own internationally and protect the country in the event of an oil spill.
The politician said, “I am happy to see that the CDC has taken a truly collaborative approach to the development of the plan by involving important stakeholders (Guyana Energy Agency, Maritime Administration Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Guyana Defence Force) in the process. The plan will also be reviewed by Cabinet after consultations are completed.”
He added, “As you begin your collective deliberations on the form and substance of the national Oil Spill Contingency Plan, I charge you to see your work here as important, and craft a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan that can efficiently and effectively keep our offshore waters free of pollution and our beautiful coastlines pristine for the enjoyment of future generations.”
Also offering remarks at the stakeholders’ consultation was the CDC’s Director General, Kester Craig,
“On an occasion such as this, we should take time to reflect on the voluminous natural resources our country possesses, which can contribute significantly to positive social and economic growth and development. At the same time, we should also reflect on how proactive and targeted Disaster Risk Reduction and Management measures can play an integral role in reducing negative environmental impacts during the utilization and exploitation of these resources.”
Craig noted that the consultation is yet another step in the right direction, where key stakeholders were able to critically review the first draft of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
Craig explained that the intent of this Plan is to implement a framework, which would cater for coordinated response action to potential onshore and offshore oil spills. As such, he said that the plan needs to be simple but comprehensive, accessible, readily updatable, and reflective of not only the working culture of Guyana, but also in line with international standards and best practices.
The CDC Director General said, “Without preparation, no amount of expertise, manpower or equipment can be effectively organized on the spot in the chaotic situation that prevails after an oil spill. The scope of this contingency plan is based on what is known as a ‘tiered response’ framework.”
Craig said that this helps to ensure that the planned response reflects the scale of the particular spill. He noted that the mere existence of a plan is not sufficient to ensure preparedness for responding to an oil spill. He said that the planning process itself is as important, as it serves to raise issues that will likely arise in response, while raising awareness on roles and responsibilities of every stakeholder.
Further, Craig said that responders and coordinators have to be trained, the plan has to be tested and resources put in place to achieve the intended purpose and objective.

 

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