Independent third party reviewer urgently needed to keep Exxon in line - Conservationist

Independent third party reviewer urgently needed to keep Exxon in line – Conservationist

Aug 19, 2020 News

Oil & the Environment…

By Kiana Wilburg

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat

Conservationist, Annette Arjoon-Martins

When one takes into consideration, the nonchalant attitude of ExxonMobil towards doing all that is necessary to protect the environment while exploring and developing Guyana’s oil resources, it is clear that the nation is in urgent need of an independent third party reviewer. This was recently noted by conservationist, Annette Arjoon-Martins.
Since the discovery of oil five years ago, Arjoon-Martins has been one of the nation’s fiercest advocates of ensuring there is adequate protection of Guyana’s environment. She told Kaieteur News that an independent third party reviewer working alongside the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would certainly help in this regard as it would strengthen the regulatory might of the nation so as to keep ExxonMobil in line.
To date, ExxonMobil has burnt over 10 billion cubic feet of gas which releases more than 250 toxic chemicals into the airspace. The American multinational said it has been forced to flare due to mechanical issues experienced with its flagship production vessel the Liza Destiny’s gas compressor system. In addition to this, ExxonMobil was fined by the EPA after it was found that there were six instances of hydraulic fuel spills in the Stabroek Block. Instead of paying up the paltry fine that totals US$3000, Exxon has told the EPA that it is opposed to same since the spills were minor and did not result in any irreparable damage. Considering this posture of the company, Arjoon-Martins articulated that Guyana not only needs a strong independent party reviewer but also, a strong National Oil Spill Contingency Plan which has been reviewed by top experts in the industry and made to have enforceable fines in an effort to dissuade ExxonMobil’s apparent disregard for Guyana’s environmental laws.
The conservationist also stated that there needs to be mandatory oil spill drills in the real marine environment “as the public relations gimmick where 150 Amerindians were transported to watch two booms in the side of the Waini River doesn’t count.” Another key step, she said, is for there to be training on how to treat marine animals or birds which have been oiled. Further to this, the staunch advocate for the protection of the environment said that ExxonMobil should be made to submit all outstanding marine environmental baselines which are absolutely necessary for regulators to monitor and manage the impacts of Exxon’s operations on the marine environment. Another key requirement she expressed is for ExxonMobil to complete the oil spill risk assessment that the EPA had required to be done over a year ago.
Arjoon told Kaieteur News that the foregoing are just a few of the key actions Guyana needs to urgently take if it is to keep ExxonMobil in line. She is hopeful that the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat can play a lead role in this regard.