Dear Editor,
Greetings of wellbeing;
This letter is directed to the CEO of ExxonMobil, Darren Woods and board members.
Since 2016 ExxonMobil has been developing oil fields in the seas of Guyana, a country which has a long-standing “green state” vision and progressive agenda that has existed before and since the Rio Earth Conference and including the SIDS Programmes of Action and the Paris Climate Agreement. This vision has existed and has been developed over many decades with successive governments and consistently advocated by Guyanese NGOs and Civil Society. Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples have conserved our world class tropical rain forests for millennia and Guyana has been awarded the prestigious #1 ”Best of Ecotourism” destination award. This sparsely populated country, under-educated and inexperienced in the Oil & Gas sector, is unable to combat the onslaught of the rapidity of the oil field developments and the proposed upcoming gas sector development. The vast majority of Guyanese are unaware of or insufficiently informed of what these new Oil and Gas “developments” are, what is at stake and how their livelihoods and community resources and locations will be affected. These developments have serious consequence on both the environment and its multi-ethnic people as the multi-national fails to adhere to the environmental and legal regulations of Guyana. ExxonMobil is currently concentrating most of its future development in the oil and gas sector in this country located on the coast of South America and which is part of Amazonia and the Caribbean Community. From the inception of the Liza-1 Oil Field Development, ExxonMobil has ignored concerns expressed locally and internationally in the following areas inter alia:
No parent company insurance
Controversial environmental and social impacts in Liza-1, Liza-2, Yellowtail oil field development permits.
Illegal and continuous gas flaring
Dumping of toxic waste water in the sea/ocean
Transporting of hazardous substances, toxic waste and radioactive sources from its off-shore rigs via ocean, river and road to related on-shore facilities (with no EIAs carried out)
Permits do not align with International best practice
ExxonMobil refuses to sign, put names of directors, address as per the regulations of the Guyana under its Environmental Protection Act Section 11 and its Regulations Section 17
ExxonMobil’s upcoming proposal for a pipeline development in the nascent gas sector is fraught with environmental irregularities, lack of genuine social engagement and documented issues related to affected citizens and communities; and non-compliance with legal requirements.
The most immediate urgency is the proposed development of the Gas sector. On 20 April 2022, ExxonMobil submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Environmental Impact Strategy (EIS) to the Environmental Protection Agency replete with non adherence to the legislation, regulations and contracts:-
No consultation of primary stakeholders who live along the proposed pipeline route
No name of developer, ExxonMobil on the submitted documents, nor that of board of directors
No proof of ownership of land where proposed pipeline will be laid
No evidence of feasibility study as per 1794/2017 Petroleum Agreement
No professional Gender Analysis or Gender-related impact assessment or impacts on women specifically assessed
No evidence of compliance with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from any Indigenous Community
Evidence of draft documents in the technical reports. These aforesaid written documents have prohibitive exclusion clauses
No Gas Leak Pipeline Management Plan or System in submitted EIA/EIS
No response to questions being asked.
On 18 June 2022 the prescribed period for comments as per Environmental Protection Act ends. Once this period ends ExxonMobil moves unto the permission stage with the abovementioned non-adherence to rule of law of Guyana. This would mean that the Gas sector would be ungovernable and unregulated. Guyana has no Gas Leak Management Plan nor System and ExxonMobil has full knowledge of this – kindly see attached letter signed and delivered to their local offices.
Attorney seeks CARICOM intervention over Exxon’s failures in environmental assessment – Kaieteur (kaieteurnewsonline.com).
Immediate attention from Engine No 1’s Board members is needed before 18 June to stop this devolving into a Guyana Rule of Law/ Constitutional Crisis propelled by ExxonMobil actions and non responses.
We, the undersigned seek your intervention to prevent our beautiful green lush country Guyana from heading into instability due to ExxonMobil’s lack of adherence to environmental norms, social responsibilities & legal requirements.
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Deane-Hughes
Alissa Trotz
Isabelle de Caires
Jocelyn Dow
Arthur Thijm
Michael Adams
Sharmaine Narine
Pamela Fraser
Hollis France
Vanda Radzik
Janette Bulkan
Danuta Radzik
Nesha Haniff
Jerry Jailall
Darshanand Khusial
Frederick Collins
Karen de Souza
Nichola Joy Marcus
Halima Khan
Susan Collymore
Wintress White
Troy Thomas
Colin Klautky
Pauline Melville
Lisa Edwards
Abbyssinian Carto
Kathleen Rodney-Scott
Pauline E. Bullen
Luke Daniels
Alfred Bhulai
Charlene Wilkinson
Rod Westmaas
Juanita Cox
Melina Harris
Joel Simpson
Nigel Westmaas
Menakshi Babulall
