Oil waste treatment plant moved to remote Little Diamond location …after concerns raised by EBD residents

Nov 15, 2020 News

Kaieteur News – Amid concerns from residents at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had announced that the company changed the location for a proposed oil waste treatment plant to Little Diamond.
In a statement, the EPA explained that it received an application from Oil Waste Management Service (OWMS) for the construction and operation of the waste treatment plant at Plot “A21” Plantation Peter’s Hall, EBD.
Subsequently after, the EPA said, the project was screened to assess its potential impacts on the environment. It was later determined that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be required to inform its decision on whether or not to authorize the project.
“The EPA published its decision on the project in a Public Notice on September 27, 2020. The Notice also informed the public that any person who may be affected by the project may lodge an appeal against the EPA’s decision (EIA not required) within thirty (30) days of the date the Notice,” the statement outlined.
During the 30-day period of the Notice, several objections and concerns from members of the public were received regarding the project’s suitability at the proposed location.
“As a result,” the EPA explained in its statement “placed the project on hold and engaged the project proponent, OWMS on the concerns raised. This led to the developer opting to propose a new location for the project.”
That new location is more remote, it added, and is at Little Diamond, EBD.
The EPA is set to publish a Public Notice indicating the new location of the proposed project and informing any member of the public who may be affected by the project to lodge an appeal against its decision not to require an EIA for the project.
However, it was said that the EPA will only proceed to authorize the project if there are no objections from the public and upon receipt of the location’s suitability approval from the Central Housing and Planning Authority.
Oilfield Waste Management Services (OWMS) said that they planned to construct “a thermal desorption waste treatment plant.”
It said the plant is based on a thermal desorption separator (hammer mill) which uses friction to heat wastes so that oil residue are evaporated.
The evaporated oil and water contents are then condensed and recaptured or separated. The remaining solids can then be safely disposed or reused.
Further, OWMS plans to recycle the recaptured oil so that it can be used in the Liquid Mud Plant manufacturing process. The solid wastes will be used in the bitumen (asphalt) manufacturing process and in addition, no solids are expected to be sent to landfills.

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