The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has withdrawn its recently revised Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines to facilitate consultations with the general public.
A public notice by the EPA informed that the revised EIA for Mining, Forestry, Hydropower, Thermal Power, Electricity Transmission, and Offshore Petroleum Exploration and Production has been withdrawn to facilitate broader consultations on those documents.
Acting Director of the Agency Sharifah Razack told Stabroek News that following the release of the new guidelines, persons reached out to the agency and voiced their concerns that the public needs to be consulted before such changes are made. As a result, she said, they have withdrawn the guidelines and are hoping that by next month consultation will be underway.