The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has worked along with all companies authorised to conduct oil drilling in Guyana to ensure that they have a comprehensive oil spill response plan, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman says.
“The potential for oil spill is one of the biggest risks associated with the oil industry. Given this potential, the agency has worked along with all companies authorised to ensure that they have a comprehensive oil spill response plan. These plans have been reviewed internally and found to be acceptable. Given that members of each operating company will naturally be the first responders, it is very critical and the agency is ensuring that there be that capacity available within the respective companies at the various locations,” he said.
Interest in Guyana by oil companies has increased since a major oil find offshore Guyana by ExxonMobil last year.
It was noted that all applications submitted to the EPA for oil and gas exploration are required to fulfil several requirements in order to successfully complete the authorisation process. Documents that must be submitted include an Emergency Response Plan, a Waste Management Plan, Environmental Management Plan and an Oil Spill Response Plan. All documents must be approved by the EPA before any activities can begin.
“In most cases, these plans become binding as they are usually made part of the Permit Conditions. All projects are expected to comply with all activities set out in the plan, failure to comply with conditions are seen as breach of the Environmental Protection Act, 1996, and the company becomes liable for any environmental damages,” the minister said.
“It is the responsibility of the permitted company to have financial coverage in the case of any spill. It is an institutional responsibility of each company to inform the agency of any spill that has occurred as result of their operations,” he added.
It was noted that at present, the EPA has in its employ three officers with the Tropical Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (THUET) and the Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training (TBOSIET) to access offshore activities for monitoring purposes. In case of a spill, these officers in collaboration with any relevant sister agencies will supervise the company’s cleanup activities, Trotman said.
He pointed out that the EPA also schedules random inspections/audits of permitted facilities to ensure compliance with the issued permit. In most cases, these visits are consolidated to include all areas under the mandate of the EPA, he said.
It was also pointed out that in its day-to-day operations, the EPA works along with development activities such as the ongoing oil exploration activities to ensure that all steps are taken to identify possible impacts and development mitigation measures.
“Since the onset of the exploratory works, the agency has exposed its officers to training hosted by international and regional organisations that sought to address critical issues associated with the oil and gas industry,” Trotman said.
It was noted that in May 2011, officers participated in the Managing Offshore Oil and Gas Resources: The U.S. Model workshop and a year later, they attended a five day MBA in Oil and Gas Course- Minexco Petroleum, in addition to the THUET and TBOSIET officers.
Trotman said that the EPA also sits on the Civil Defence Commission which is directly responsible for responding to disasters. “In this regard, the Agency has drafted a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan which includes Oil Spill Response. This plan is being reviewed internally and with relevant national stakeholders for their input before finalisation. This plan is also aligned to the Guidelines of CDC “Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRM) for the Environment Sector.” Additionally, the Agency participates in capacity building initiatives organized by CDC on a continuous basis,” he said.
He added that the EPA continues to expand its knowledge in the area of oil and gas exploration through constant research and development and training as they are made available.
