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Ballast water to be dumped into Ocean from Liza Phase One Project an environmental threat — Int’l Lawyer
ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase One Project which is expected to produce at peak, 120,000 barrels of oil, will lead to a number of harmful fluids making its way into the ocean.
International Lawyer, Melinda Janki
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project notes for example that millions of barrels of ballast water will be discharged until the project comes to an end.
Highlighting this during a recent guest appearance on Kaieteur Radio’s programme, Guyana’s Oil and You, was International Lawyer, Melinda Janki. Janki noted that ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), which is managing the Liza Phase One Project on the Stabroek Block, will see the dumping of ballast water into the ocean.
Ballast water is water carried in ships’ ballast tanks to improve stability. It is taken up or discharged when cargo is unloaded or loaded, or when a ship needs extra stability in poor weather.
Research conducted by this publication indicates that when ballast water is loaded by the ships, many microscopic organisms, toxins and sediments are introduced into its ballast tanks. Many of these organisms are able to survive in these tanks.
If suitable conditions exist, these species that are discharged in often times new environments will
ExxonMobil’s Public and Government Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud
reproduce and become invasive species. In some cases, there is a high probability that the organism will become a dominant species, potentially resulting in the extinction of native species.
The ballast water also has effects on local and regional biodiversity, on coastal industries that use water extraction, on public health and on local economies based on fisheries.
A worried Janki added, “The problem with ballast water is that it carries a lot of pollutants in it, bacteria and other toxins, and it is one of the four biggest threats to the environment.”
Considering the harmful effects the foregoing could have on the ocean, Janki unambiguously stated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has let down the people of Guyana by granting approval for this project to go ahead.
Janki said, “I think on Liza One, the EPA did an absolutely atrocious job. They have let down the people of Guyana. They have not put measures in place to protect the environment and this is a constitutional issue. The Constitution says that we are entitled to an environment that does not put our health in danger.”
The lawyer added, “It says you have to protect the environment for future generations. How is it protecting the environment for the future when you are dumping millions of barrels of ballast water into the ocean? People need to ask Esso about this?”
When contacted about the concerns raised by Janki, ExxonMobil’s Public Relations Advisor, Janelle Persaud, was keen to note that all vessels supporting the company’s operations comply with international ballast water management plans.
She added that they are equipped with sewage treatment facilities that meet international standards.
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