Abruptly dismissed on Monday after serving two years as Head of the EPA, Dr Vincent Adams has warned that the country faces a serious challenge in keeping its rivers free of pollutants as it becomes an oil economy and he called on Guyanese to hold their leaders accountable.
“What Guyanese must, as other people around the world do, is to hold their politicians and decision-makers accountable. Do not take the power you have lightly. Pay attention. My impression is that people here give up too easily and say they alone can’t make a difference. But they don’t understand the power of numbers and how much as a united front how much they can achieve,” he told the Sunday Stabroek in an exit interview.
“The number of companies that are going to be coming in here is unimaginable. They will be handling a lot of chemicals and a lot of them will be located in the Demerara area. The rivers we have to be mindful of. I have seen firsthand when the Berlin Wall came down and when we looked at Eastern Europe how their waters were like sores. Focus on waterways. When you pollute your air and water ground bed, you cannot shut it as a pipe. That lasts for decades and centuries, if you can ever really clean it up. I hope citizens pay attention,” he cautioned.
Adams is the holder of a Degree in Civil Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Petroleum and Geological Engineering and another in Geohydrology.
The Linden-born scientist is also the holder of a PhD in Petroleum and Geological Engineering and another in Environmental Engineering.
He had worked at the United States Department of Energy for three decades and with oil major Amoco Corporation before that.
He said that it was because of his experience that he instituted policies at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and why he was very concerned about ExxonMobil’s proposed water dumping and flaring offshore.
He was sent on leave while the EPA was engaged in talks with ExxonMobil on these very issues for its proposed third well, Payara. His removal from the talks was seen as ensuring that there would be no delay in giving approval to Exxon.
In an attempt to protect the welfare of citizens and future generations, Adams told the Sunday Stabroek that he was driven to ensure that ExxonMobil had adequate insurance coverage to clean up in the event of a spill.
Oversight capacity needed
But before looking at the oil and gas sector, he said he felt that capacity should be boosted at the EPA to prepare it for the burgeoning sector.
“I remember when I came I was asked what was my vision for the EPA. I said it was to make the EPA a model agency for others to follow. I think we are on track to make that happen. We started capacity building because you have to get the oversight capacity or nothing makes sense. When I arrived we had no engineers on staff. How could we when everything must be grounded on science?
“So we were able to raise $150 million I was able to hire 120 persons; science people… We had also been sending people abroad. We had officers go overseas for training. We had several planned with other companies to give them the on-the-job exposure and expertise. It starts from the inside and that is how I hope it continues. I couldn’t do what the EPA did alone and I cannot take the credit. When you have dedicated, excellent staff like I did, you know the agency would have done better. I hope the training and capacity building doesn’t stop. We need professionals for this sector we are about to head into,” he added.
He said EPA employees need to be exposed to the global trends, technologies and best scientific information by going around the world to conferences and work studies and networking with international agencies.
“That is how you build an agency. That is how we did it in the US – we invest in human resources. For example, you go out and bring in interns for a four-year period so at the end of four years, you are not looking only at a half an hour interview, so you know you have four years … you can assess on,” he said.
Adams said that his regret in leaving suddenly was not being able to see through the plans for capacity building.
He said that while he was fired abruptly, he believes that a government has the right to choose policy agency heads that they feel most comfortable working with. However, he said that the manner in which he was fired is what disappoints him most.
Unprofessional and undignified
“I want to make it crystal clear that the President and his administration are to determine who they want as part of their administration. What I was disappointed about was the unprofessional and undignified way it was done. I have been around, worked at the highest level of the US government, I know what dignified protocols are. I don’t think this is the way you treat a professional or any employee,” he contended.
“Based on what I have read about other firings, I do not think it was handled properly. It is just as if whoever is doing it feels good or it is revenge against someone. The day I was asked to go on leave, I had a discussion with the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who told me there will be a place for me in oil and gas. He told me to go on my leave and I went and came back.
“It was just the way it was done. I was just ignored, no response to my calls. My leave ran out and I was told to wait until I was given guidance and when I called for that guidance my calls were not returned. I am not bothered about the termination. They have the right. It is just the way it was done. I know a lot about leadership, playing a great role internationally and seeing great leadership. When you are in a leadership position, as head of a country, you have to set the example for others to follow,” he added.
He said that his firing sends a bad signal to professionals in the diaspora who may want to return to give to their homeland.
“The other part of it is, here you have the highest qualified petroleum engineer, by academics and experience and you don’t maximize the services. This
administration says ‘we want the diaspora to come back in because we want to build capacity’ but the message is mixed. Here you have someone who came back home. Here is a person that that came from the alleys of Christianburg, Linden, one of the poorest places in the country. I came from that humble and poverty background, to play cricket for Guyana, serve my country and rose and served at the highest level. I represented the US government, having a stellar career. No reason was given for my dismissal and they could have said that ‘we don’t want you because we don’t feel comfortable,’” he said.
But Adams says he holds no animosity towards the government and would assist if asked because it is the country of his birth and it is for the welfare of the children’s future.
He echoed similar sentiments when asked what his plans for the future were. He said that he will return to the United States soon but had already planned to continue his humanitarian work here as he focused on helping this country prepare for the oil and gas industry.
Adams said that he remains committed to serve the country of his birth in whatever way his expertise can and that the PPP/C should not be reluctant to ask for his assistance in the future.
Adams was appointed Director of the EPA effective October 1st 2018. His tenure saw stricter enforcement of the provisions of the EPA Act which saw a number of companies including ExxonMobil being fined. In June 2019, Adams ordered the Demerara Distillers Limited biomethanation plant closed after complaints by residents in the area. It was an unprecedented move.
