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EPA can now remotely detect oil spills
…after three years of production
Kaieteur News – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can now remotely monitor and detect offshore oil spills, thanks to an agreement it inked with Maxar Technologies last year.
Maxar Technologies Inc. according to its website is a space technology company headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, United States. It specializes in manufacturing communication, Earth observation, radar, and on-orbit servicing satellites, satellite products, and related services.
An officer attached to the EPA showcasing the remote monitoring room (Image by EPA)
The EPA said it “is proud to have signed a contract with MAXAR Technologies to have tasked satellite monitoring offshore and onshore including detection of oil spills, slicks and spills.”
This announcement comes even as the oil company operating in the Stabroek Block, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) – also referred to as ExxonMobil Guyana – and the Government remain silent on full liability coverage in the event of a spill.
This is a guarantee, usually in the form of a signed letter, that the parent company- in this case ExxonMobil- would cover all costs associated with the spill that its operator- EEPGL, a limited liability company- cannot cover.
Instead of this level of protection, the Guyana Government has accepted US$600 million coverage per oil spill disaster that is currently being held by the operator. In addition, it was reported that negotiations are ongoing for a US$2.5 billion parent company guarantee.
Experts have warned that this meagre amount is unacceptable, given the dangers associated with the offshore activities.
Nevertheless, the agency in outlining its other achievements for 2022 also noted that in addition to remote sensing capabilities, the Agency has equipped staff with state-of-the-art field technology for monitoring and data collection. These include tablets and field phones with thermal-sensors as well as specialized equipment to detect and monitor radiation, water and air pollution.
To strengthen its oversight in the oil and gas sector, the EPA noted that it now has in place real-time reporting of environmental discharges from the Liza 1 Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and a platform to track marine vessels in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
As part of its efforts to enhance remote real-time monitoring, the regulator last year February for the first time installed five Air Quality Sensors provided by IQAir with capability to measure the concentration of key air pollutants-Particulate Matter (PM) – PM2.5, PM1, PM10, and Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
The agency explained that each sensor unit has the ability to cover a radius of 20- 25 km and a performance accuracy of 82 percent.
The sensors are currently located in Georgetown at the Agency’s Head Office in Georgetown, Eccles, East Bank Demerara, Vilvoorden, Essequibo Coast, Whim, Berbice, and in Linden.
Another notable achievement for the EPA was its partnership with the Hydrometerological Office of Guyana, the Department of Fisheries and Environmental Management Consultants (EMC). The agencies were able to conduct a number of water quality monitoring expeditions along the Essequibo River, and in the Coastal waters.
This monitoring provided the EPA with key baseline data of the state of these water bodies, which will inform future management and conservation efforts.
- EPA, ExxonMobil, Monitor, oil, spill
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