Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday assured that mechanisms are being put in place to deal with potential oil spills offshore Guyana.
Harmon, in one of his last assignments as minis-ter, was at the time speak-ing at the commissioning ceremony for the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) building at Whim Village, Corentyne.
Since he is a dual citizen, Harmon has had to tender his resignation from parliament and this take effect from today.
Harmon noted that persons often agonise over what would happen in the case of an oil spill. “But I believe we agonise too much and we do not plan enough,” he said.
Against this back-ground, he explained that there is an ongoing colla-boration between agencies, including the EPA, to deal with present and future issues that will affect Guy-ana. “I am satisfied that the plans that are being put in place will serve us well in an event that something unfortunate were to happen in the oilfields that develop offshore of Guyana,” he said.
Guyana, Harmon noted, is a part of an international alliance of countries that can be affected in the case of an oil spill offshore and as a result staff attached to the relevant agencies have had the opportunity of going abroad and studying the experiences of other countries in similar cases. “I have been to practices where we actually practice in the event of a spill what is going to happen and what are the agencies’ responsibilities and we have actually started to put in place mechanisms that will assist us to ameliorate any loss which can occur as a result of these circumstances,” he said.
Harmon also observed that the EPA’s mandate is not limited to issuing licences as it has a very proactive role to play in making citizens understand their responsibilities for ensuring a healthy environment in Guyana. “It is important that the town councils, the mayoralties, [and] the neighbourhood democratic councils, that we all understand that a healthy environment is everyone’s business and that when we have a healthy environment, we have healthier people, we have healthier commu-nities and we have a healthier Guyana,” he noted.
Additionally, Harmon said that like with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, he is proud to oversee the Environmental Protection Agency as both agencies understand their role and mandate and “go out and get the job done.”
He also spoke of the need to have qualified and experienced staff to carry out the agency’s mandate successfully. He further encouraged Guyanese to forget about super salaries and allowances that come with a job and “recognise that your skills are needed here in Guyana to develop us and move us from where we are to that first world state. I believe we have all of the resources here in Guyana to move us to that.”
Meanwhile, throwing a jab at the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic, Harmon claimed that the total cost of two buildings constructed under the present government cannot match the cost of the National Insurance Scheme building (NIS) located in Corriverton, which was constructed under the previous administration.
The new EPA building cost $32 million.
The EPA’s Executive Director Dr. Vincent Adams pointed out that yesterday’s event was an historic one, since the building is the agency’s first satellite office since beginning operation in 1996.
He explained that the new office will ensure Berbicians have easier access to their services, while noting that it has been extremely costly and a major inconvenience for persons throughout Guyana to access their services only at their main office in Georgetown.
Adams further noted that a second office is expected to be commissioned in Linden sometime next month.
In addition to this, he said the EPA has written to the regional administrations throughout Guyana seeking office space in their buildings for several days per month, “so our officers can go out, so that our customers can come in and have easy access, so that we can provide that service to all Guyanese.”
President of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce Mohammed Raffik, during his brief remarks, stated that the EPA is an extremely important agency, especially in light of Guyana’s developing oil sector. He then pointed out that one of the main purposes of the EPA is to ensure that the citizens are protected in case a situation arises offshore. He stressed that it is also important for Guyana to be protected. He added that he is reassured to have someone as experienced and qualified as Dr. Adams heading EPA.
Raffik also reminded Guyanese to remember that the “environment is everybody’s business” and not the EPA’s alone. He then called on citizens to support the EPA in its efforts to protect and preserve Guyana’s environment.
