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Current, former EPA Heads clash over safe production levels for Liza 1
By Kiana Wilburg
Kaieteur News – Increased production on the Liza Destiny vessel by ExxonMobil has left the former and current heads of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams and Mr. Kemraj Parsram, respectively, divided on whether the oil company’s operations are safe or hanging on a dangerous precipice.
Former EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams
This concern was first raised by Dr. Vincent Adams. Earlier this week, he had expressed the view that oil production being above 120,000 barrels of oil per day is unsafe for Guyana. He said ExxonMobil’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) clearly states that 120,000 barrels is the safe production limit, and anything beyond that increases the risks of an oil spill.
In a subsequent interview, the current Head of the EPA, Mr. Parsram, categorically disagreed with this position, as he noted that the same EIA states that production can occur beyond 120,000. He noted that Page 28 of the EIA mentions that emissions associated with the project were calculated based on peak production at a conservative 144,000 barrels of oil per day. Parsram had said it is the opinion of the EPA that it is, therefore, safe for the company to operate beyond 120,000 barrels of oil, since the EIA considered the impacts of production beyond design capacity for the Liza Destiny.
Since noting this, Dr. Adams has told Kaieteur News that he has examined the aspect of the EIA referenced by Parsram, but still could not agree with the position of his successor. He insisted that there cannot be two safety limits in an EIA while adding that only the 120,000 barrels of oil per day figure applies to the safety limit. He said the 144,000 barrels figure was used to estimate a conservative air emissions rate. The two numbers are, therefore, separate and distinct and represent two distinct purposes expressed the former EPA Head.
Dr. Adams further stated, “A lot of analysis goes into developing safety limits and when set in an EIA, it becomes sacred and is not touched. To stay safe, operators would always set their own internal limits below the set safety limits to ensure that it is never exceeded, because they know the consequences…it begs the question as to why the EPA would have left out this important piece of detail in its response.”
As a concerned Guyanese, Dr. Adams said, “I am highly disappointed that the EPA would attempt to defend the indefensible, when it is crystal clear that Exxon is committing a potentially dangerous violation of the EIA; and I am deeply concerned about the Agency’s inability to understand the modelling done in EIAs, such as this, due to the complete lack of personnel with any petroleum background whatsoever, following my departure.”
When Kaieteur News reached out to the EPA Head to share the additional points raised by his predecessor, Parsram was keen to note that his position on the matter remains unchanged. He stressed that the EIA for the Liza Phase One Project.
EPA Head, Kemraj Parsram
considered all potential impacts from the project in its entirety and was based upon potential peak volume of production of 144,000 barrels. The EPA Head said, “…anyone reading that excerpt and footnote (At Page 28 in the EIA) should arrive at the same conclusion…I don’t need to answer anything else nor will I engage in a tit for tat. The facts are there in the EIA…”
He said, too, that the EIA makes it clear that the project facilities will have potential to safely operate at sustained peaks above the design rates.
Parsram said if Exxon is in breach of that, it will have to answer to the regulator.
“And if they go above that, they will have to apply for authorisation for that variance and the EPA will consider any approval for such request. This would be done taking into consideration all ramifications and safeguards for same,” the EPA Head concluded.
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