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The official sellout of Guyana continues

Apr 07, 2022 Editorial

Kaieteur News – History keeps repeating itself in Guyana, and it is staggering how swiftly and stealthily. A mere three months ago the National Resources Fund Bill was rushed through parliament during the Christmas Season when Guyanese were celebrating, and then signed into law by the President in the dark of night.

Almost exactly the same thing occurred in how Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted the serious business of citizens relative to the issuance of the permit for the Yellowtail oil project. Given the furtive nature of the conduct of this most crucial and sensitively placed of state agencies, the best way to describe what occurred was how we did: “EPA issues Yellowtail like a ‘thief in the night’” (KN April 3).

A thief walks around on eggshells, a thief loves the protective cover of dark night, and a thief’s usual mode of the practice of his dirty trade is to do so quietly, as in under the radar. On every count and characteristic that is part of the art of a thief, and one operating under the thick darkness of night, Guyana’s EPA stands accused and condemned. By its own actions, by its own hand, the EPA denounces itself, and its people should hang their heads in shame for these continued betrayals of trust, these derelictions of duty.

Though we don’t expect any answers would be forthcoming, at least any truthful ones, the people at the top of the EPA have a lot of questions standing before them and pointing fingers at them. Why the secrecy and hesitancy with furnishing the Terms of Reference for the Environmental Impact (EIA) study? What are the fears felt by Guyana’s EPA working in cahoots with America’s Exxon so that both deny the delivery of that much sought-after Terms of Reference? What went into it, what were its thrusts, and what were its limits, meaning where it didn’t go? Similarly, what about the “gross deficiencies” in the study pointed out by concerned Guyanese and organizations? Why they were still left unaddressed? Why were cries and complaints about “lack of basic scientific data” and the hurried nature of the EIA study, with its attendant weaknesses all ignored, or given repeated official brush off? Why was there no satisfying response on the deeply troubling issue of how “independent” was/is Environmental Resources Management (ERM), saddled with the task of doing the EIA study? Given that this ERM consulting group has functioned in that capacity for almost seven years on behalf of Exxon, how “independent” could it have been? Given that it has benefited from Exxon’s fat consulting purse for so long, and could only benefit more by delivering what met Exxon’s expectations, what credibility can that flawed EIA it presented have for Guyanese?

Even more importantly, how does Guyana’s EPA entrusted with a duty to watch out for the interests of the citizens of this society come to rely on anything that is put out by the ERM? How can this be, when sharp and vigilant Guyanese environmentalists note and raise pointed objections, and gifts to the local EPA what it needs to run with, but doesn’t? Who comes first for Guyana’s EPA, Guyanese priorities or foreign interests?
For the EPA to issue the permit for the fourth oil project, Yellowtail, on one day (March 30), and then release the revised EIA two days later should put to rest any lingering uncertainty that our EPA is in our corner and clawing tooth and nail for Guyanese. As it stands today, with actions like these serving as a reeking trail of evidence of its incompetence, its total lack of trustworthiness, the EPA is nothing but a rubberstamp organization to be used anyhow and at any time by local political leaders, and as a shoe sole to be walked upon by foreign oil companies and their beholden and tricky consultants for whatever objective is contemplated. It goes without saying that the objectives of Exxon and company are not those of this country.
It is a crime, it is another betrayal, when our own Guyanese sell us out like this. The EPA is so far gone now that it operates like some smalltime fowl thief working a cheap hustle in the night.

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