Key hearings on the planned new bridge over the Demerara River and an ExxonMobil oil exploration programme have been put on hold to allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more time to provide answers, a move that will be seen as a win for civil society activists.
The hearing on the bridge was set for yesterday and the one in the name of ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) was scheduled for tomorrow. On Monday, the Environ-mental Assessment Board (EAB) put on hold until further notice, the public hearings into appeals against the EPA’s decision not to require Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of the two projects. These decisions by the EPA had triggered consternation and many questions from civil society activists. The EAB adjudicates appeals of EPA decisions.
