The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday voided an application by Vista Trading and Logistics (Guyana) Inc for a cement facility at Le Ressouvenir on the East Coast even though it had earlier exempted it from an impact study.
The EPA decision to exempt Vista from an EIA had been appealed by to the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) and after a hearing for both sides a decision was pending.
The sudden decision of the EPA yesterday will be seen as a victory for members of the public and civil society activists who have in recent months intensified a campaign for transparency in EPA and EAB decisions. The EPA in particular has come under intense scrutiny over its decisions to exempt major projects from the EIA requirement including for the new bridge over the Demerara River.
