The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have signed a $4M co-financing grant agreement aimed at developing the EPA’s Environmental Protection Compliance and Enforcement Regulations in support of the Environmental Protection Act No 11 of 1996.
According to a press release, the objective of the one-year project is to strengthen the EPA’s capacity for the management of environmental and social impacts of development activities in all economic sectors, including the mining sector. The project entails contracting a legal expert to develop the compliance and enforcement regulations and to provide training sessions with officers of the agency and national stakeholders in the use of the legal instrument.
The Environmental Protection Act established the EPA and sets out mechanisms for its functioning. Among its various functions, the EPA is mandated to take steps as necessary for the effective management, conservation, protection and sustainable use of its natural resources, and additionally to develop and enforce relevant supporting environmental regulations. The Act provides for prosecutions in a court of summary jurisdiction in respect of offences under the Act, but not the power of arrest, issue warrants or charges.
The co-financing is provided under the WWF Guianas Gold Mining Pollution Abatement programme.
