Govt. urged to beef up capacity of EPA to ensure critical oversight of oil sector – Norton

Apr 07, 2022 News

---

Kaieteur News – Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Mr. Aubrey Norton believes that it is critical for the administration to boost the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to ensure that the body plays its critical role in the thriving oil and gas sector.

Norton made the assertion on Tuesday, during a press conference, in response to a question by Kaieteur News. The Leader explained, “First of all, one has to improve the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency in terms of technical competence. It is useless to talk about monitoring this and monitoring that if you do not have an effective human resource development plan to ensure you have the people who are competent…in the absence of that, you have to engage qualified people outside of Guyana (or) companies to do that.
I believe that we have to ensure that every company in Guyana is accountable and you need to develop the capacity to ensure there is accountability.”
Norton was asked to give his views on the advice given to Guyana by former Head of Staatsolie- Suriname’s National Oil Company (NOC) Rudolf Elias, that the country should follow its footsteps by ensuring there is 24 hours monitoring of the offshore oil production, which ensures that regulations are being complied with, by the developer and at the same time, affords the local work force an opportunity to expand their knowledge on the sector.
The party’s leader pointed out that while there is a critical need for the monitoring of Guyana’s oil resource, the ruling administration has shown little interest in developing the capacity of such agencies, to ensure their responsibilities are fulfilled.
In fact, he accused the government of undermining resources to these agencies, rendering them paralyzed.
“In essence I would say yes, we need to monitor, we need to ensure everything is in order but I do not live in a world of my own. The PPP has shown that they are not prepared to develop the intellectual and other competencies that are needed and so while it is our desire to have it done, we are concerned that the government seems hell bent on under resourcing those institutions and as a consequence, depriving them of the capacity to do what they should do. So while we want it to be done, the government has to be urged to first of all have the political will to do it, and secondly, to ensure that you improve the institutional capability and capacity of the institutions so that they can be efficacious as they pursue their objectives,” Norton reasoned.
The EPA has set out several conditions for the oil company, ExxonMobil and its partners to adhere to. The strength of these regulations have however been questioned, as there is little monitoring being done to ensure compliance with the respective rules.
Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Kemraj Parsram has been making strides to ensure remote monitoring systems are implemented using Geographic Information Systems, and acquiring modern equipment to measure environmental change.
Back in December, the EPA informed members of the media that it will soon launch a remote real-time monitoring system and platform to keep an eye on facilities and their level of compliance with key environmental parameters. The regulator said this will be done through the acquisition of satellite services, and the installation of sensors for air quality index, among other mechanisms.
In the meantime, the agency said it currently utilizes drone technology, has amplified the use of Geographic Information System (GIS), and employs other digital technology for remote monitoring.
To complement its technological improvements, the EPA noted that it continues to build the capacity of its staff members. In this regard, it said employees continue to capitalise on virtual webinars facilitated through international and local partnerships. To date, it said 81 staff members have participated in virtual webinars focused on areas such as risk assessment and risk management, climate change and climate mitigation, human rights in Environmental Impact Assessments, reducing emission and air quality impacts, and building resilience for oil producers.
However, former Head of the Suriname National Oil Company said it was important to have the human resources also on board.
Elias said, “We are always present for two reasons: one, it’s to see what is happening because you want to know firsthand what is going on with your resource and second is, you want to learn…You want to keep an eye out and know where are the layers, know what the oil sands look like. So we always have a driller and a geologist on board 24 hours, seven days a week on every vessel out there.”
In light of the benefits, he has been able to have a front row seat. Elias said he would advise Guyana to do the same; to have on every drillship, a senior geologist and a junior to get the experience of what it takes to find oil, and to be in charge of their country’s resources.

---

---