“Shameful and anti-national”

May 12, 2023 News

…Former Minister, Bulkan condemns EPA’s appeal against High Court ruling on oil spill insurance and parent guarantee by ExxonMobil

Kaieteur News- Former Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, has condemned the move by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to appeal the recent ruling by High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon regarding oil spill insurance and the parent company guarantee by ExxonMobil, calling it a “shameful” and “anti-national” appeal of the “powerful” ruling.

Ronald Bulkan

On May 3, Justice Kissoon ruled that the EPA must enforce Condition 14 in the Liza Phase 1 Environmental Permit (Renewed). That provision says ExxonMobil Corporation, the parent company for Esso Exploration Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), must cover costs for all environmental loss and damage that might result from a well blowout, oil spill or other failure in the Liza Phase One Development Project in Guyana’s Stabroek Block. The court also ruled that the EPA breached its statutory duty.

He explained that with ExxonMobil drilling through ~2,000 metres of water (>1 mile) and ~3,700 metres (>2 miles) of rock; the nation owes a debt of gratitude to Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI) President, Frederick Collins, Mr. Godfrey Whyte, and their lawyers, Mr. Seenath Jairam, SC, and Ms. Melinda Janki for their noble and courageous court action against the EPA for its gross dereliction of duty.

Bulkan said that by virtue of the landmark ruling, Justice Sandil Kissoon has secured a place in Guyana’s and the Caribbean history.

“The courage, integrity, and scholarship inherent in his ruling and his fearlessness in standing up for Guyana against a behemoth, will ensure that he will be respected for generations to come,” the former government minister said.

Additionally, Bulkan said the EPA’s decision to appeal is nothing short of outrageous and brings into sharp focus the conduct of President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, regarding their pre-elections promise to renegotiate the Oil Contract if elected.

“Now ensconced in office and seemingly intoxicated with the newfound oil wealth, this duo has cited “contract sanctity” as the reason for the inability to honour their earlier pledges. By their reasoning, contract sanctity applies only to the Oil Contract and not the Permit allowing for oil extraction! This double standard clearly exposes the hypocrisy and duplicity of the government and its leaders,” Bulkan continued.

The former minister expressed gratitude to former head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams, who insisted that the clause requiring full parent company guarantee for all claims and liabilities arising from oil extraction offshore Guyana be embedded in the environmental permit. Bulkan praised the other patriots for fighting for better terms in relation to Exxon’s exploitation of Guyana’s petroleum resources – he thanks Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Dr. Glenn Lall, GHK Lall, the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), Red Thread, Ray Daggers, Simone Mangal, Elizabeth Deane-Hughes, Vanda Radzik, and Danuta Radzik.

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EPA’s, ExxonMobil, Justice Sandil Kissoon, Ronald Bulkan, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

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