ExxonMobil Guyana yesterday said that it has replanted the mangroves cleared at the Ogle foreshore, East Coast Demerara for the landing of its fibre optic cable which will service its offshore facilities.
A statement from ExxonMobil said that the exercise was overseen by officials from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) as part of regulatory approvals the company received to clear a 240 square-metre area.
The exercise saw the removal of mangroves and cordgrass. A section of rip rap boulders within the approved zone also had to be removed to enable the cable connection. The boulders were also replaced.
“ExxonMobil Guyana is committed to conducting its business in a manner that is compatible with the balanced environmental and economic needs of communities where we operate. Working with the relevant regulators to mitigate environmental impacts is an integral part of that commitment,” said the company’s Projects Environmental and Regulatory Manager Erik DeMicco.
The release said that ExxonMobil Guyana also used the opportunity to remove some 1.4 tonnes of trash from a 100-metre stretch along the seawall. The trash was transported to the landfill facility at Haags Bosch, East Bank Demerara.
ExxonMobil added that the mangrove vegetation cleared was chipped and the possibility of recycling and using the material explored instead of disposing it.
