Hazardous and non-hazardous waste produced by Guyana’s fast developing oil and gas sector are being managed according to international standards and best practices, according to Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Vincent Adams.
However, since the EPA lacks the equipment and expertise needed to carry out the testing necessary to verify compliance in some cases, it relies heavily on mandatory reporting by operators in the oil and gas sector to verify their compliance with waste management stipulations, Adams said.
He added that while the EPA is aggressively looking to build its capacity by procuring the expertise and equipment, verification through reporting and observations is normal. In this light, he pointed to his time working in the United States’ Department of Energy. For these and other reasons, Adams said, he has no reason to believe that operators are not complying with the terms of their permits.
