Nearly 80 percent of waste water being dumped overboard globally without treatment- UN Secretary General

Jun 28, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Almost 80 percent of waste water generated around the world is being dumped into the oceans without being treated to rid the liquids of toxins that can cause harm both marine species and the environment.

United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres delivering remarks during the opening ceremony of the UN Ocean Conference

This is according to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres who told an Ocean Conference yesterday during the opening ceremony that ocean temperatures are increasing around the world, referring to the situation as an “ocean emergency”.

Guterres said “Nearly 80 percent of wastewater is discharged into the sea without treatment,” adding that the situation is compounded by some eight million tons of plastic that enters the ocean every year.

He warned, “Without drastic action, this plastic could outweigh all the fish in the oceans by 2050. Plastic waste is now found in the most remote areas and deepest ocean trenches. It kills marine life and is doing major harm to communities that depend on fishing and tourism.”

To drive home his point on plastic pollution, the UN Secretary General noted that one mass of plastic in the Pacific is bigger than France.

“Sadly, we have taken the ocean for granted, and today we face what I would call an ‘ocean emergency’. We must turn the tide. Global heating is pushing ocean temperatures to record levels, creating fiercer and more frequent storms. Sea levels are rising…the climate crisis is also making the ocean more acidic, which is disrupting the marine food chain,” Guterres reasoned.

As a consequence, he pointed out that more coral reefs are dying, while coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrasses and wetlands, are being degraded.

In Guyana, the oil and gas company operating in the active Stabroek Block have been dumping wastewater overboard, even without any mechanisms being in place to verify that the toxic chemicals are being removed first.

Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mr. Kemraj Parsram back in December last year told this newspaper that while the agency does not have systems in place to verify that ExxonMobil is doing its part to keep the environment safe, the EPA would from time to time visit, to ensure that the company is carrying out this requirement.

He explained, “The EPA has, with any operation, conducts periodic monitoring exercises at all offshore facilities”.
Even more surprisingly, EPA said that the agency relies on the company to submit daily reports to the Government of Guyana, which includes adherence to discharge parameters. If any flaws are highlighted in these reports, only then would the agency act.
According to him, “The data in this report is processed by the EPA to monitor and determine trends or any anomalies or deviations from standards set in permit”.
Back then, Parsram assured that the agency is in the process of strengthening its capabilities to conduct “real time” environmental monitoring offshore Guyana.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), Exxon’s subsidiary, in its Revised Cradle to Grave Waste Analysis Study says that all wastes generated from offshore operations are either treated and discharged offshore or sent to onshore facilities for recycling, treatment, or disposal/discharge.
Wastes generated from offshore operations are managed in one of two ways.
“Wastes are managed directly on the drill ships, FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading), or other vessels using on-board recycling, treatment, and discharge methods or wastes are transported to onshore facilities for recycling, treatment, and discharge or disposal,” the document explains.
Waste streams generated offshore generally originate from five processes including drilling, installation, production, marine and accommodations.
The company’s waste, generated offshore includes waste oils (lube, hydraulic, and fuels), tank cleaning sludges and wastewaters, deck and machinery space drainage waters, ballast and bilge water, cooling water, incinerator ash, consumables (paint, aerosols, oil filters, oily rags, etc.), scrap wood, scrap metal, empty containers, food waste, household garbage, used cooking oil, medical waste and sewage and other toxic chemicals that can pose tremendous danger to marine life.
While some of these wastes listed above are suitable for discharge overboard after pre-treatment, others must be managed exclusively at appropriate onshore facilities for recycling, treatment, or disposal/discharge.
In this regard, EEPGL said in the document that “A small number of specific wastes are also treated offshore using thermal destruction technology. These include production well test fluids and certain other hydrocarbon based wastes (such as oily sludges, engine oils, lube oils, etc.)”.
The UN Ocean Conference kicked off yesterday in Lisbon, Portugual and will wind down on July 1.
It is being held under the theme “Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions”.