EIA again waivers for Schlumberger’s radioactive storage facility at Houston

Apr 18, 2023 News

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Kaieteur News – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday issued a notice stating that Schlumberger Guyana is exempt from having to produce an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a radioactive source storage and calibration facility at Lot 1 Area X Houston, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The EPA said it has evaluated the project as per section 11 (2) of the Environmental Protection Act, taking into account the project’s Site Verification Report, Environmental Assessment and Management Plan 2022, Project Summary, the International Atomic Energy Agency Safety Standards and Security Guidelines, the Application submitted, and further relevant environmental information.

Based on its assessment, the EPA said it has concluded that the environment will not be significantly impacted by the project as such; it said the project is exempted from the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment (ElA).

In outlining the reasons for its decision, the regulator explained that the inventory of radioactive sources submitted with the application has been categorized under Categories 3-5 as per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Categorization of Radioactive Sources (No.RS-G-1.9). The EPA said it is important to note that the IAEA has specified that these sources may only pose a potential risk to individuals close to them when they are unshielded, with typical durations ranging from days to weeks.

Furthermore, the EPA said the facility will calibrate and store sealed radioactive sources, meaning the radioactive material is enclosed within a tightly sealed capsule, surrounded by layers of non-radioactive material, and securely affixed to a non-radioactive source, effectively preventing any potential leakage or environmental release of the radioactive material. It said too that proper shielding and distancing can significantly reduce the risk of radiation exposure to the public.

Furthermore, the EPA explained that the operator has demonstrated adequate safety and security measures to effectively limit public exposure to radiation in keeping with the IAEA Safety Standards. It said too that the source storage pits are constructed with 300mm thick reinforced concrete and lined with 7mm thick carbon steel plates, providing optimal shielding to restrict the movement of radiation waves. Kaieteur News understands that the results of a radiation assessment at the storage and calibration building indicated an average cumulative annual radiation dose of 0.931 mSv/y within the building, which is within the IAEA public dose rate of 1 mSv/y. Moreover, the assessment has determined that the radiation dose at a distance of 30m from the storage and calibration building is 0.001 mSv/y, which is significantly below the IAEA’s standard for public exposure.

Additionally, the EPA said air emissions from the facility will be generated by the sole stationary source of emissions, a 550kW diesel standby generator, as well as mobile sources transporting the sealed sources within the facility’s compound, which will release particulates from the combustion of fuel.

The EPA was keen to note that the company has demonstrated using the best available technology, such as spark arrestors, and practices, such as regular preventative and corrective maintenance of engines to reduce emissions. An air quality assessment indicated that the Nitric Oxide and Sulphate at the Facility were below the World Health Organisation (WHO) limits for the respective gases.

Importantly, the EPA said the facility will not produce radioactive waste. It said, “All sealed sources that are no longer in use or fail to meet the requirements for operations will be deemed disused. Disused sources will be returned to their respective manufacturers or suppliers outside of Guyana. There will be no disposal of disused sources within Guyana.”

It said too that the current location does not require the transport of the sources along the main public thoroughfares, e.g. the East Bank Public Road, since all calibrated sources are returned offshore via vessels leaving the Port west of the Facility. It said the internal transport reduces the risk of accidents, loss, and public exposure to radiation during transportation.

According to project documents seen by this newspaper, Schlumberger Guyana Inc. (SLB) said it is a registered contractor in Guyana and provides oil field services to the oil and gas industry. Specifically, Schlumberger Guyana Inc. provides upstream services with four primary areas of focus to include well construction, reservoir production systems, digital and integration and reservoir performance. SLB said radioactive sources are used in the oil and gas industry for well logging and well drilling. The company said they are placed in tools that are lowered into the well, both on the drill string above the drilling bit during the drilling of the well (Well Construction) and on wireline lowered into the already drilled well (Reservoir Performance), in order to determine details of the formations passed through (lithology, porosity, fluid content, etc.). These measurements are of fundamental importance both during the drilling and afterwards to determine the success of the well.

SLB was keen to note that it invented the technology of lowering measuring instruments into wells to evaluate the presence of hydrocarbons. Furthermore, SLB said it has been operating with radioactive sources throughout the world since the early 1950’s and has been in the forefront in assisting regulatory bodies such as the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the formulation of regulations and safe operating requirements for the use of ionizing radiation in oil and gas exploration and production.

SLB currently maintains licensed storage and calibration facilities in operating bases in many countries around the world including United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Ecuador, all located in the Western Hemisphere. These facilities are built considering the highest safety standard in the industry preventing any potential human or environmental risk. All have been approved and licensed by the relevant regulatory bodies in those countries.

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• calibration, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Guyana, Huston, Schlumberger’s

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