Dear Editor,
There is much consternation that Exxon has released a list of meetings that covers only 6 regions and there is only one meeting scheduled for Guyana’s largest Region 4, and there are no online meetings. This is simply unacceptable and the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) is hereby calling on Exxon/EPA to schedule more meetings in all regions including adding some online meetings, and use a hybrid face-to-face/online model to ensure maximum participation of all people including those choosing not to do face-to-face due to Covid precautions and to involve Guyanese living abroad. Exxon has scheduled 8 face-to-face meetings – two meetings in Region 1, one in Region 2, one in Region 3, one in Region 4, two in Region 5, one in Region 6, but no meetings announced for Regions 7, 8, 9, and 10. No online meetings have been announced as were done in the past. The Yellowtail Project would be the largest project estimated to produce 250,000 barrels per day. The bigger the project, the bigger are the potential environmental and operational risks and problems. Exxon released about 5,000+ pages in their Environmental and Impact Assessment documents and appendices (and we trust the EPA will read all of it), and there are many questions to be answered. The assertion that “a large oil spill is seen as being an unlikely outcome of the ExxonMobil-led Yellowtail Deve-lopment Project,” is a comfort to fools. Exxon’s ongoing flaring in Guyana gives them an “F” grade for environmental stewardship, coupled with poor EPA monitoring and a Government only too willing to aid and abet all of Exxon’s whims and fancies including keeping the current contract, as is, instead of renegotiating.
Article 23 of the Constitution says that every citizen has a duty to participate in activities designed to improve the environment and protect the health of the nation. The Environmental Protection Act, Chapter 20:05 provides the public with a legal right to say what questions and matters they wish to have answered or addressed in the environmental impact assessment. The EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency International) Standard requires that the government, extractive companies and civil society are fully, actively and effectively engaged in EITI implementation. The Guyana (GYEITI) encourages a “call for views” as widely as possible. Guyana also has full disclosure responsibilities as part of the “Escazu Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Additional-ly, the Government says it is encouraging Diaspora engagement, so why would Exxon/EPA want to exclude this large group of Guyanese who have made valuable contributions and giving the most feedback in previous Zoom meetings? Surely, Exxon is not afraid of the large talent pool of highly qualified and experienced people in the Diaspora. OGGN calls on Exxon, the EPA, and Minister of Natural Resources to make sure “All Guyanese Matter.” We say cover all regions adequately and hold online meetings!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
Oil and Gas Governance Network
(www.oggn.org)