EPA withdraws pollution charge against W/Ruimveldt workshop owner

Jul 04, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday withdrew a charge against the owner of a West Ruimveldt auto body workshop owner. The charge was withdrawn by lawyers representing the agency when the matter came up in court on Friday.
The withdrawal of the charge came after Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, made mention on his radio programme ‘The Glenn Lall Show’ of the EPA’s move to charge the auto body workshop owner.
The publisher questioned EPA‘s logic behind going after the auto body workshop owner, a small businessman, when big companies like Schlumberger and ExxonMobil continue to pollute the environment by burning garbage and flaring toxic gas in the air, but the EPA is silent. The agency, Lall stressed is not going after the big companies to fine or hold them culpable in anyway, but they are harassing a small man.
Last month, Anthony Singh, the owner of an auto body shop appeared in Court charged with breaching the Environmental Protection Act by continuing to operate even though he was prohibited from doing so.
The auto body workshop owner had pleaded not guilty and was placed on $300,000 bail after the charges were read to him by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Singh, of Lot 29-32 Cactus Road, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, had faced two charges of prohibition as it relates to the Environmental Protection Act.
According to the allegations, Singh failed to cease activities which pose a risk of serious pollution to the environment and damage to public health as required by a prohibition notice issued under Section 27 of the Environmental Protection Act, and also that he continued the activity while a prohibition notice was in effect.
Further, the charge outlined that between December 9, 2020 and May 27, 2021, Singh operated an auto body shop at his Cactus Road address although he did not have an environmental authorisation and/or any approvals from the relevant authorities as required under the law.
The charge also outlined that a prohibition notice which was served on March 19, 2019, and issued to Singh, was still in effect during that time but he failed to cease operations.

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