By Penelope Howell
Penelope (Penny) Howell is a trained teacher, and a community activist, and hails from Coverden. Her husband Timothy is from Barbados. They are the proud parents of one son – Matthew Howell.
Editor’s Note: Last week residents of Coverden appeared before the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB). This is the fourth time they have appeared at such hearings, to defend their community against the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to waive requirements to two companies that have applied to operate a waste treatment facility and a storage plant for sealed radioactive sources in their community. In a diaspora column of April 4th, Coverden resident Penelope Howell wrote the following:
A few short months ago, some of us at Coverden did all we possibly could to dissuade the Guyana Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) from granting the Global Oil Environmental Service (GOES) the go ahead to operate a Waste Treatment Facility for transfer, storage, treatment and disposal of Oil and Gas waste in Block ‘X’ T’ Huis te, Block I, T’ Huis te Coverden, East Bank Demerara. We…were dumbfounded when against sound reasoning and all of the scientific research proffered against such a move…GOES was given the go ahead. While we were still recuperating from that astonishment, another notice was posted on the EPA website, this time stating that Trinidadian based Non-Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc. was requesting a permit to locate and operate a storage plant for Sealed Radio-active Sources, at Lots 1 and 2, T’ Huis te Coverden, East Bank Demerara Guyana…We again voiced our protest to the EPA. Conversely, this time, we felt that our pleas were heard, when we were enlightened (through the grapevine, mind you), that the Non-Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc. application was rejected, for reasons we are not sure about as yet, since the people of Coverden were never officially informed by the EPA one way or another. While still applauding what seemed to us as a wise move by the EPA, we were alarmed at the impudence of the Non-Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc. which refiled their application, with just a few minor changes here and there. Once again we are protesting this reapplication, and have filed an appeal, but given our experience the first time around, we are not as optimistic this time at all.”
Below we carry Penelope Howell’s in person presentation at the EAB in Georgetown last week. We close this week’s column with her appeal, which was submitted to the Environmental Assessment Board on March 18th, against the resubmission of the application by Non-Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc. for Storage of Sealed Radioactive Source– Industrial Radiography Device, to be located in Coverden. It is important for there to be a public record of a process that reveals the complete absence of process. Shockingly it seems the storage of hazardous waste and radioactive materials can be simply approved without any need for an Environmental Impact Assessment, over and above the concerns raised by Coverden residents who have to live with this in their midst. This should be of concern to all Guyanese, not just because it creates a dangerous precedent, but because all of these things are related. Do we really think that an accident will affect only the good people of Coverden? Do we think that this will be the only community that will have to contend with such facilities in their midst? Do we think it is right that the concerns of communities over their rights to ancestral lands, their right to a healthy and safe environment, their basic rights to be heard, be continually ignored or subverted by a hearing that is designed to offer the illusion of participation when in fact it seems the decision has already been made?
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to press home total obligations to the two developments at Coverden:
1. Global Oil Environment Services (Guyana) Inc. (GOES)
2. Non Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc. (NDT)
We also request that the relevant impact assessments be done (social, environmental, ecological) in keeping with international best practices, as they pertain to projects of this nature. We would like to know why the EPA is so opposed to conducting these assessments despite the community’s unease and request for a thorough investigation of all potential impacts before we are satisfied that these operations will be safe for us and our children.
We at Coverden are very distrustful of the Guyana EPA for the following reasons:
a. The notice of the July 7 hearing was placed in a
single issue of the Guyana Chronicle newspaper only, on Father’s Day 2022 – of all days; when so many families would have little time to peruse every page of that edition of the newspapers.
b. We were subsequently informed that 100 of the Coverden Residents are invited to the July 7 hearing. Monday July 4 was a national holiday – Caricom Day. Saturday was yet another holiday – Eid-al-Adha – and the hearing was scheduled for Thursday July 7 at 1pm, which means that persons would have had to take time off from work to attend the proceedings. This means that Coverden wage earners – the bulk of the employed – would have lost 2 to 3 days wages this week as a result. The bus fare from Coverden to Georgetown is $300.00 ($600.00 return); from the minibus park to Kingston is $100.00 ($200 return). So, the EPA is asking 100 Coverden residents to spend a combined total of $80,000 in transportation cost alone, minus whatever wages we would have lost as a result; rather than hosting this hearing in Coverden, sometime in the evening after working time, which would have been a lot more convenient.
c. The Zoom facility also seemed to have been an afterthought; but sadly, many of us shall be at work during this time, and still cannot attend without loss of wages.
At Coverden, we have been trying, through hard work and persistence, to develop the land given to us by our visionary forefather John Clarke. We have been trying as best as we can to take care of ourselves and families, with the aim of passing it on to our offspring. We are organic farmers, we run micro businesses, we have welcomed and embraced people from different backgrounds and ethnicities too, only now to have our land snatched away from us subtly by these foreign firms with their dangerous chemical waste businesses. We ask you, would any of you feel comfortable living or staying in a village where radioactive waste is being stored?
Would you want to eat foods from such a location?
Would you want that for your children, parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncle?
And if not, then why is it okay to locate that waste in our community and should we not raise our voices to challenge this?
Why Coverden?
Here are some reasons why we think that Coverden is chosen:
1. These so-called Developers do not want to develop any land in Guyana, they want to go to where there is “no need for infrastructural development” – no need to build roads, run light and telephone poles, water mains, etc. in spite of the inconvenience to the locals.
2. These companies assume that by making “empty” grandiose promises to us, hoping that we shall forget, that we shall roll over and allow them to walk in and do as they please. Just a short while ago, Global Oil Environmental Services (Guyana) Inc. – “GOES Guyana” came and made all sorts of promises to Coverden. A personal visit to their local office last week revealed that they are supposedly ‘still moving forward,’ since they have been given the OK by the powers-that-be despite the questions raised by residents of Coverden. What about these ambitious promises now? What sort of consultation is going on with the Coverden residents at the moment?
3. The easy and immediate access to the Demerara river; all assurances that Non Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc, has given that the river shall not be used, makes us scratch our heads in wonderment – consider the bottlenecks and the traffic jams of getting to and from Georgetown from Coverden with hazardous materials. Moreover, are our memories so short that we forget what happened with Omai in 1995, when thousands of pounds of cyanide leaked into two of our major rivers?”
Appeal by Penelope Howell to The Environmental Assessment Board against the Resubmission of the application by Non-Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc.
– Storage of Sealed Radioactive Source– Industrial Radiography Device, to be located at Lot 1 of Lots 1 and 2, Thuiste Te Coverden, East Bank Demerara. ________________________________________________________________
I hereby once again register an appeal against the resubmission of the above application to the Environmental Protection Agency’s screening and judgement as stated on your website: www.epaguyana.org:
Non-Destructive Testers Limited (Guyana) Inc. – Storage of Sealed Radioactive Source– Industrial Radiography Device, to be located at Lot 1 of Lots 1 and 2, Thuiste Te Coverden, East Bank Demerara.
We would like to find out exactly how you concluded that: – “• The Industrial Radiography Equipment will be securely stored away from the public in a well-designed structure and shielding located more than 200m away from the nearest resident.”
We are not comfortable in your assurance that: – “Only suitably trained and qualified personnel will be allowed access to and use of the equipment.”
Thus we are very unsettled by your assertion that: “… The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has screened the following applications and determined that the proposed projects will not significantly affect the environment and are therefore exempt from the requirement for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).”
I therefore insist that the following be conducted before any such consideration by The Environmental Assessment Board:
a. Cultural Impacts Assessment
b. Demographics Change Impact Assessment
c. Disaster Impact Assessment
d. Economic Impact Assessment to residents
e. Epidemic Impact Assessment
Please see a partial list of concerns below:
1. Why did you choose this location?
2. Are you aware that this location is relatively close to:
a. densely populated areas?
b. The only International Airport in Guyana – The Cheddi B. Jagan International Airport?
c. A major waterway – The Demerara River?
d. The only roadway which joins the major highway – The Soesdyke-Linden Highway?
3. What is the potential impact on flora and fauna on the surrounding areas and environment?
4. What mitigating measures will be put in place should there be an accident of any sort, caused by this venture?
5. If transported by land, what will be the proposed core times of transport, and traffic management implementation?
6. What is the percentage of increase in heavy equipment (trucks) operating in the area?
7. Coverden is often affected by spring tide; what are some of the mitigating measures that are being considered for the facility to reduce the possibility of leakage or water contamination?
8. What monitoring mechanism is in place by the EPA?
9. What recourse do residents have?
a. should there be an accident if the project is approved? What are the limits on liability for negligent damages done to the surrounding environment and the concerned residents?
10. Is there a requirement for an effective and valid insurance policy in place which will benefit the residents and the surrounding zones?
11. With all of the available lands in Guyana why is there a proposal in or near a densely populated residential area?
12. What safety and evacuation measures do you have in place in case of an emergency?
13. What immediate communication mechanisms are in place to immediately inform residents about an immediate evacuation?
14. Please list some benefits to the residents for having this project in Coverden?
15. Who/which are the environmental experts/bodies that have been consulted regarding the feasibility of such a location?
16. Is the feasibility report readily and easily available for concerned residents and the media to peruse?
17. Kindly name the other possible locations that have been considered for this waste treatment plant?
