Coverden residents set face against oil & gas waste treatment plant

Aug 24, 2024 News

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– seeking legal advice to challenge venture

Kaieteur News – Residents of Coverden East Bank Demerara (EBD) have raised staunch objections to a decision to have an oil and gas waste treatment facility built in the community.

The residents have been up in arms after reading in the press last week that an agreement was signed by the Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh for the $214M waste treatment plant.

The agreement was officially handed over by Guyana’s Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, (PWSI), Mahendra Jettoo. The residents have since noted that PWSI waste facility is a highly hazardous and dangerous operation and no assessment has been done to determine the risks to the health and wellbeing of residents; risks to the environment, air, soil etc.; and the community.

Following a meeting on Wednesday, the residents issued a statement explaining that they are planning protests outside of Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated Oil and Gas Waste Treatment Plant at Coverden EBD.  The community group is also in the process of seeking legal advice in relation to Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, Go-Invest and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“…there is no way of determining how these risks would be managed, compensation for residents and the community, etc. As such, as residents of Coverden, we are saying in the strongest of ways, that we do not want this or any oil and gas waste treatment facility or the storage of Radioactive materials and Industrial Radiography Devices in our community,” a statement issued on behalf of the residents said.

The community members outlined among their concerns the fact that the government would sign an agreement with PWSI, a new company that has no experience, expertise, or competency in managing oil and gas waste or an oil and gas waste treatment facility.

“We are also surprised to learn that Mahendra Jettoo, is the Chief Executive Officer for this oil and gas waste treatment facility because Mr. Jettoo was the landlord for previous developers for the waste treatment facility, Global Oil Environmental Services (GOES), an American company, and JAPARTS Guyana, the local partner,” the statement added.

According to the residents, the move was even more concerning since in 2021, the Global Oil Environmental Services (GOES), applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval to construct and operate an Oil and Gas Waste Treatment facility for the transfer, storage, treatment and disposal of Exploration and Production at Coverden, East Bank Demerara.

That partnership was with JaParts Guyana and the EPA issued a public notice about the proposed facility, and some of the residents from Coverden filed ‘Letters of Objection/Appeal’ to the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB).

The residents noted to that approval was eventually given to GOES but was not given to Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, which is a new company to operate an oil and gas waste treatment facility in Coverden.  As such, the residents are raising several questions as to what was the approval process followed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, (PWSI) to operate Oil and Gas Waste Treatment Facility in Coverden.

The group queried “What was the approval process followed by GO-Invest for the allocation of $214M to Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, (PWSI) to operate Oil and Gas Waste Treatment Plant at Coverden? Why were no consultations done with residents of Coverden and Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, (PWSI) about the Oil and Gas Waste Treatment Plant being operated in the community?”

According to the residents, there is no way of determining how these risks would be managed, compensation for residents and the community, etc. As such, the residents of Coverden, have condemned the project in the strongest terms

“We are saying that we do not want this or any oil and gas waste treatment facility or the storage of radioactive materials and industrial radiography devices in our community,” the statement said.

Meanwhile in response to the concerns raised by the EPA in a statement issued on Tuesday said that new company is essentially operating on the permit granted to GOES.  The EPA said that GOES was then issued an Environmental Authorization for five years valid August 2021 to July 2026. On July 12, 2023, the EPA received an application to transfer the Environmental Authorization from GOES to Professional Waste Solution Inc. (PWSI), citing the following reason:

“GOES suspended operations at the current location in January 2023. However, since the permit is still valid for three additional years, Professional Waste Solutions Inc.is desirous of recommencing operations at the current location, especially since some of the infrastructure, already in place, will remain intact.”

The EPA said that it processed the application for transfer in keeping with the Environmental Protection Regulations, and issued an Environmental Permit (Transferred and Modified) to PWI.  The Agency took into consideration that, while the project is now under transferred ownership, all of the elements generally remain the same, with some improved process and technology.  “All safeguards are captured in the transferred and varied permit, as the Agency wanted to ensure that impacts are not significant and, importantly, that the permit holder can meet their obligations in accordance with the Act,” the EPA said.

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• Hazardous, legal action, Oil and Gas, Residents, waste  facility

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