Amid heightened scrutiny and criticism of its conduct, the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday said it was strengthening its processes and adherence to the Act governing it.
In a lengthy release on what it is doing to fulfil its mandate, the EPA asserted that it has been “improving its internal decision-making to ensure it best serves its mandate of protecting the environment and managing the sustainable use of Guyana’s natural resources.” It noted that there has been an influx of new unfamiliar projects which are directly correlated to the rapid growth of the oil and gas sector. Also noted was the increased scrutiny that its work has come under recently which it acknowledged was understandable given that its motto is ‘The Environment is Everybody’s Business’. It has not escaped the Agency that such scrutiny has become more strident of late and while it does recognise its deficiencies, it asks the public to appreciate that “these are not situations that developed overnight.”
Subsequently, the EPA stated that it is reviewing its processes and in concert with the appointment of its new Executive Director, and has taken a more “aggressive and proactive approach” to best fulfill its mandate.