‘Govt. approving more oil projects to the detriment of Guyana’

Oct 17, 2022 News

– Patterson says population can be the most unhealthy in the World next five years

Kaieteur News – Shadow Minister of Natural Resources, David Patterson is adamant that the Government of Guyana prefers to have an “under-staffed” and “undermined” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) even if it means putting the country at risk to show off Guyana as the most fast-paced developing country in the World.

Shadow Oil and Gas Minister, David Patterson

While focused on this objective, the former Minister of Public Infrastructure said it may end with the citizens of Guyana being the unhealthiest in the world, owing to the inadequate performance of the regulatory body. Patterson was at the time speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event on Friday when he offered these comments about the EPA. He explained, “EPA is wholly inadequate and we recognise that and this is not an issue that is current. I think this was recognised under Vincent Adams. It’s an issue that we all got to be concerned about. Everyone has to be concerned and take the blame.” The Alliance For Change (AFC) party member was keen to point out that it is the onset of oil and gas operations that highlighted the deficiencies of the EPA; however a US$1 million World Bank loan taken by the former Coalition government was geared at addressing this issue.

While this new administration has decided to put the money to use in other areas, the Shadow Natural Resources Minister believes “they feel if you have somebody with knowledge, it will slow up what they want to do. So they prefer – at any cost even to the detriment of our society – to allow EPA to continue just granting permits without any sort of in-depth analyses and those things like that.”

Patterson continued, “If you get an expert in, he is duty-bound, professionally-bound to say no this can’t happen, and obviously that will not augur well on the government’s plan. So they prefer to have an understaffed, undermined EPA so that they can get whatever plans they want to do put forward and they will claim it’s all in the idea of development and fast tracking growth and those things like that but… it has long-term consequences.”

He reasoned that the impacts from oil and gas development, inclusive of transporting hazardous waste to shore will not affect the population immediately; however toxins can affect livestock, fish stock and plants while the government goes “after the easy money.” “They are after the easy money and they are after being able to say we are the fastest growing economy in the world but within another four or five years, we could be the sickest people in the world,” Patterson warned.

On April 1 of this year, the EPA gave oil giant ExxonMobil the green light to startup oil production at its fourth development, Yellowtail. Less than two weeks later, Exxon applied to the agency for a Permit to start extracting oil from its fifth project, Uaru+.

Presently, the oil company’s Consultant, Acorn International is conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the fifth development in the Stabroek Block. After its two most recent discoveries in July this year, the total discoveries for the prolific Stabroek Block reached 33. It is estimated to hold over 11 billion barrels of oil.

Presently, oil is being produced in the Liza One and Two fields. A third project, Payara is expected to come on stream next year which will take the total oil production up from the present approximate 300,000 barrels per day to about 500,000 barrels per day.

Meanwhile, the fourth project, Yellowtail, with a production capacity of approximately 250,000 gross barrels of oil per day has been given approval for startup in 2025.

One environmentalist, Simone Mangal-Joly believes that the ramped up production rates are a reckless chase after money. She said it is, “A reckless rush to chase money without counting the damages and losses in other areas in the process, both in direct benefit we accrue daily, and monetary terms, is shortsighted and dangerous to all of us, including businesses and our economy as a whole.” She explained that each time a new FPSO vessel is welcomed to Guyana, it also brings along tonnes of toxic waste that is discharged into the waters, thereby impacting our fish and other marine species. Not only this, but a tremendous amount of waste is being brought to shore for treatment and disposal, Mangal added. The environmentalist was keen to note that the risks are not only limited to an oil spill, but the dangers extend way beyond such an event.