Latest update November 29th, 2024 1:00 AM
EPA wasting govt.’s money taking us to court for a small matter – ExxonMobil President
ExxonMobil’s Country Manager, Alistair Routledge yesterday said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be wasting the government’s money to take the oil major to Court for fluid spills at its Stabroek Block operations, because it considers the matter to be too small.
ExxonMobil’s Guyana Country Manager, Alistair Routledge
The Head of EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams, had announced due to the company’s resistance to pay the fines that EPA would go to Court.
Routledge said, “We believe it is not the best use of the government’s money or our money to take such a relatively small issue to court. That is why I asked Dr. Adams that the lawyers speak, and we try to work through those details and try to come to a solution which is more constructive.”
ExxonMobil had argued that the spills of hydraulic fluid are negligible and constitute no significant impact to the natural environment.
Routledge is of the view that the fines imposed by the EPA for the spills do not apply to the company. Despite the fact that Guyana’s laws empower the EPA to impose such fines, ExxonMobil has taken the position that it should not pay.
Routledge was yesterday asked why the company is so reluctant to pay the fines for the spills which occurred at its Liza Phase One project at the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
“The fines, we believe, are not applicable to us,” he told reporters.
The company was fined for six spills, each amounting to $100,000 (US$500). Dr. Adams had told Kaieteur News that Exxon’s refusal to pay such meagre fines has left him disappointed and worried about what it could mean for Guyana’s future with the oil major as its leading oil producing company. He said that ExxonMobil’s lackadaisical attitude could spell disaster for Guyana, as if the company is so resistant to such small fines, there’s no telling how much that attitude could hurt Guyana if Exxon is responsible for a much larger environmental disaster.
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