Citizens uncomfortable with EPA’s decision to waive environmental study for hazardous waste facility

Apr 23, 2023 News

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…to formally appeal the decision

Kaieteur News – It is a well-known fact that residents from the Houston, East Bank Demerara (EBD) have raised concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s decision to permit the operation of a hazardous waste facility in the area without a proper environmental assessment of the risks to those who live and work nearby.

The issue was even the subject of a court case with three residents—Danuta Radzik, Vanda Radzik, and Raphael Singh challenging EPA’s decision to grant Schlumberger Guyana Inc. (SGI) permission to operate the facility without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The trio secured judgment in their favour and the court ordered the EPA to comply with the correct procedure and list its reasons for waiving the EIA.

Last week, the EPA announced a decision to waive the EIA and listed several grounds for doing so. These reasons are however being rejected by the residents of Houston who plan to formally raise their objection with the EPA in the coming weeks.  Danuta Radzik, who has been leading the calls by Houston residents for the facility to be relocated, expressed discomfort with the reason proffered by the EPA for waiving the EIA.

She said, “In my view, the reasons given in the 3-5 categories listed by the EPA are not satisfactory, comprehensive, or adequate enough for EIA to be waived. The EIA has to in detail explain the nature of the project, its waste streams, and its possible impacts… Those reasons given certainly do not explain fully the nature and impacts in detail.”

She said in the coming weeks, the residents of Houston will be formally making their objection known in a bid to appeal the EPA’s decision.

Radzick stated she is not the only person who is willing to formally raise the objection against the EPA.

“We have had residents speak out before so I know there are a number of other persons who will join us in raising their concerns as well.  Residents are not against Schlumberger operating its facility, we just believe that it would be safer to operate offshore or somewhere that is not in proximity with people and their livelihood,” Radzik added.

The EPA on Monday issued a notice stating that Schlumberger Guyana is exempted from having to produce an EIA for a radioactive source storage and calibration facility at Lot 1 Area X Houston, 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.

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.

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 is said that internal transport reduces the risk of accidents, loss, and public exposure to radiation during transportation.

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• Danuta Radzik, Environmental Protection Act, Hazardous, Vanda Radzik, World Health Organisation (WHO)

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