Deliberate distraction to host public meetings for ExxonMobil’s 6th project during cricket

Deliberate distraction to host public meetings for ExxonMobil’s 6th project during cricket – Civil Society Members

Sep 12, 2023 ExxonMobil, News, Oil & Gas

Kaieteur News – The decision by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) – ExxonMobil Guyana- the operator of the Stabroek Block to host public meetings on its sixth deepwater project on the same days of the cricket tournament is being played in Guyana appears to be all part of a strategy to deliberately distract Guyanese from the all-important exercise.

Former Head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams

This is the view of some civil society members including former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Vincent Adams. Dr. Adams said that it is only normal practice for any reputable agency to host a proper consultation; they must engage their stakeholders during a time when they would see maximum participation. “To host a consultation exercise on the day when cricket in Guyana is being played is a deliberate move not to get most people to show up. It shows there is no genuine effort for transparency and reluctance by the oil company to truly engage stakeholders,” he said

Dr. Adams continued: “cricket is a big part of our culture in Guyana and when you have big cricket tournaments like this, most people’s focus is not on anything else other than on those games… so I agree with anyone who says it is totally egregious and deliberate for them to do that.”

President of Transparency International Guyana Inc. (TIGI), Frederick Collins shared a similar perspective. Collins posited that while the decision ExxonMobil Guyana to host its public meeting for the sixth deepwater project offshore Guyana during the cricket games may all be part of a strategy to deliberately distract citizens, it is the responsibility of Guyanese to turn out in their numbers and show interest in the project that will affect them for generations to come. The transparency advocate said that he is not surprised at this move since it is not unusual for oil companies to show reluctance to give citizens insight into their plans for the petroleum sector. “There has always been a reluctance to consult from the inception, just look at the short space of time they are giving citizens to examine 3000 plus pages of technical data for this project.”

President of TIGI, Frederick Collins

“It is clear that they don’t want to consult anyone. They are just doing this to look good and to say at the end of the day, we consulted you. So if you prioritise the cricket over the meeting, they will say it’s your loss because we made an effort to consult you. You are the one who failed to show up,” the TIGI President said as he called on citizens to use every opportunity to ensure they get a clear understanding of what the oil operators plan to do with their valued assets.

Meanwhile, overseas-based Guyanese Dr. Jerry Jailall said while he cannot determine that the decision to host the meeting during cricket was deliberate, he believes the planners of these meetings should be cognizant of what else is happening so as to allow for maximum participation. Dr. Jailall underscored the importance of scheduling these meetings at times and places convenient for maximum participation by the public, civil society representatives, media, and others.

“The public hearings for the oil projects are meant to satisfy due process requirements as public comment, questions, and input are essential to the public involvement process,” he said. More importantly, Dr. Jailall said moderators cannot refuse to take questions from the media or to frustrate those asking questions and probing into details.

Dr. Jerry Jailall

ExxonMobil Guyana is set to host a consultation on its sixth deepwater project today at the Leonora Technical Institute, West Coast Demerara.

The project, Whiptail is Exxon’s largest development to date, pegged at US$12.9 billion. The company is expected to engage the public on the 3636 paged Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) it submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only 22 days prior. The document contains technical data such as the standards that would be employed in the development of the project, the estimated amount of discharges that can cause pollution, likely impacts to humans and the environment as well as outlines mitigative measures among others.

The regulator issued a public notice on August 20, 2023, informing that the document was available for public scrutiny and comments as required by the Environmental Protection Act. This process allows stakeholders to better understand the development and share concerns relative to its operations. Following the release of the EIA, ExxonMobil announced that it will commence a series of public consultations on September 12, 2023. However, concerns have been raised by the public regarding the strategic move by the operator to commence public consultations on the project amid the Cricket Carnival season in Guyana. The country will be hosting a series of games during the period Exxon will be conducting meetings on the sixth project. In fact, the local games commence on Wednesday, September 13 at the National Stadium in Providence, East Bank Demerara (Region Four), the same day the oil giant will meet with stakeholders at the Umana Yana in Georgetown on the planned development.