A probe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that the recent pollution on the Kingston seashore, Georgetown was a result of waste oil being dumped into the Demerara River.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, EPA Executive Director, Kemraj Parsram said that from their investigations the contents tested found evidence of waste oil and not crude oil as had been speculated in some quarters.
“It wasn’t crude oil…not fresh oil from oil production. Somebody dumped waste oil around the place and we have to find these people. So anybody see people doing this should report so we can deal with them,” said Parsram when contacted yesterday.
Earlier this month, water in the area was discoloured from the traditional light brown to dark brown. This observation prompted persons to question whether it was crude oil which had surfaced in the area.
The EPA head noted too that the discoloration of the water was as due to the fact that fresh water from the Demerara River was being released.
“…People didn’t recognize that it was black freshwater coming onto the beach but oil was dumped there also and so it was a mixture of both fatty oil and waste oil (that made it seem like crude oil)”, Parsram said.
Fishermen, who frequent the area for leisure fishing activities had told Stabroek News that the substance in the water could have been sewage discarded by waste disposal companies.
The Civil Defence Commission had said its checks had revealed that the substance was animal fat that was dumped in the vicinity. The assessment team witnessed no crude oil in the area, nor any slick or sheen, the CDC had said in a release.
City Solid Waste Director Walter Narine had said that the city has no control over the disposal of sewage or animal fat. He said that it has been a norm for years for disposal companies to discharge treated sewage into the river.
According to him there is an outlet managed and controlled by the Guyana Water Incorporated and this is used by companies to release the waste.
Narine stated that while it is necessary for the waste to be treated, it is unclear whether the companies are following the guidelines.
After a few days, the pollutant was dispersed by natural wave action.
