The United States is helping to build Guyana’s oil spill response capacity and a virtual risk assessment workshop is set for this month.
A release from the US Embassy here yesterday said that the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Guyana Civil Defence Commission (CDC), with support from the US Department of State’s Energy and Mineral Governance Program (EMGP), began a six-month series of joint activities designed to assist Georgetown in the development of a reliable national response system and to enhance the CDC’s maritime oil spill prevention, planning, and response capabilities.
The release said that a virtual risk assessment workshop is scheduled for this month to build upon the progress Guyana has already made with the development of its National Oil Spill Contingency Plan and oil spill response capabilities. The release said that the USCG facilitators will guide the participants through an assessment of possible oil spill scenarios in Guyana to identify the most likely and most consequential scenarios. The results will be used to determine possible improvements and updates to Guyana’s National Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
Other activities this year will include a virtual exercise programme management training and in-person exchanges to observe oil spill response exercises. The release said that the partnership is part of the continued US support for energy governance and commitment to regional security to help Guyana build its disaster response capabilities.
