EPA lacks manpower to monitor East Coast Project

Sep 20, 2018 News

– monitoring left to the contractor

A section of the road under construction

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacks the manpower to ensure that the guidelines outlined by the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) are being implemented.
This was revealed by sources within the EPA who were responding to queries by Kaieteur News.
This newspaper had highlighted on Wednesday the health and other hazards facing residents and commuters who travel along the East Coast Highway, which is currently undergoing major expansion.
One official said that while the contractor submits an Environment Management Plan to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for revision and approval, ultimately the day to day adherence and monitoring of the site is left to the contractor.
The projects are instead monitored on a quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis dependent on the length of the project.
The lack of supervision on the impact of the East Coast Demerara project has led to complete chaos for commuters and millions in losses for some businesses people, who have had the entrances to their establishments destroyed to facilitate the project.
Residents in Annandale are made to suffer heavy flooding due to the dropping of construction debris within their canals and drains, while commuters are forced to navigate unpaved diversions and potholes, and the poorly lit road with little to no lighting at nights.
“The roadway is poorly lit at night; this is hazardous and increases the risk of accidents. Large excavated sections and drop-offs are not cordoned, this is extremely dangerous,” a letter in the Kaieteur News stated.
The contractor for the project is China Railway First Group Limited. The project has a sharp deadline, and failure to reach it will see the contractor facing steep penalties.
Residents of the communities affected believe that the contractor is in a rush to get the job done and has no regards for the impact the works are having.
The project, which was originally pegged to be finished at the end of 2018, had seen its deadline extended into September of 2019.

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