Permission to develop an indoor shooting range in Subryanville has been denied by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and an alternative location is being examined.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, Acting Head of the EPA, Kemraj Parsram, said that the project was discussed and reviewed by the Environmental Assessment Board of the EPA and was not approved to be constructed in the previously proposed area of Lot 2 Subryanville.
“It was not approved. After discussions by the board and from objections received and further information that was gathered about the location and based on that information we decided that it is not best suited for that location,” Parsram said.
He pointed out that from the beginning they had tasked the company to present a backup plan for another location as they had predicted the same objections that came to pass.
As a result, the EPA and the company are currently in the process of reviewing the new location.
In October the EPA published a notice indicating it had received 11 applications from various companies for Environmental Authorisation. One of the companies, S&S Security Inc., applied for the authorisation for an indoor gun range in Subryanville.
According to information received by Stabroek News, the company’s target audience would include licensed firearm individuals, security companies, the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), members of the Guyana National Rifle Association (Guyana NRA) and other military and paramilitary organisations in the Caribbean.
After it was announced, residents of the community had voiced their dissatisfaction and stated that they were against the construction of the gun range.
The residents had also pointed out that it is against the law to have a business or any commercial activity taking place in a residential area. However, Parsram had pointed out that one of the criteria for the project to be fully approved is for the proponent to have approval from the Mayor and City Council or the Central Housing and Planning Authority.
