The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday notified the public that the government’s planned 300 MW natural gas power plant will not require an impact study.
Notice of the decision appeared in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle and will raise further questions about the EPA’s decision.
A plant of this scale and its features would usually require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The EPA’s waiving of this requirement for key oil and gas-related projects has attracted condemnation.
The EPA notice said that it had screened the application for the grant of an Environmental Authorisation for the Construction and Operation of the 300 MW natural gas-fired power plant.
It further stated that pursuant to Section 11(2) of the Environmental Protection Act, the EPA had determined that the proposed project/activity will not significantly affect the environment, and is therefore exempt from the requirement to conduct an EIA.
It then provided reasons for its decision. The EPA’s failure in the past to provide reasons for its decisions has resulted in several court rulings against it.
According to the notice, the reasons for this decision include:
1. The proposed location for this project falls within the area of influence/footprint of an EPA-approved Gas to Energy Project (GTE) that was subjected to a comprehensive EIA, including a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA). The CIA concluded that there will be no significant impacts from the combined activities/projects.
2. The results of the CIA showed that while there is potential for temporary impacts on air quality, the maximum predicted concentrations of key pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM10), and carbon monoxide (CO) will be within the World Health Organization (WHO) stipulated limits.
3. As natural gas is used for power generation, the flue gas emissions will not have particulate matter and SO2 emissions. However, in the case of back fuel use, particulate matter and SO2 emissions will be released but to a minimal extent, and well below recommended WHO guidelines.
4. Compared to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) currently in use for power plants, natural gas has a lower carbon content and as a result will have a lower CO2 emission.
Natural gas does not contain any sulphur, so there will be no sulphur emissions directly from burning of natural gas.
5. Process wastewater will be treated to local and international acceptable standards (GNBS Interim Effluent discharge standards and/or IFC Guidelines) via a wastewater treatment plant prior to being discharged. The sanitary sewage system within the facility will collect all sanitary wastewater and treat it to international applicable standards prior to discharge into a stormwater pond prior to discharge into the Demerara River.
6. The Project lies within a highly modified landscape and is not located within a sensitive ecosystem.
The Project design will include embedded controls as well as targeted mitigation measures during construction and operation to mitigate any impacts to biodiversity.
The Project will not significantly impact or change overall ecological functions of the landscape and affected watershed will retain their current functions largely unchanged.
The notice goes on to add that potential environmental and social impacts that will be caused by the project during pre-construction, construction and operation phases, have been identified, screened and assessed. Further, overall, many of the impacts are localized, short-term and/or temporary in nature.
This project therefore is exempt from the conduct of an Environmental Impact Assessment.
The notice also advised that any person who may be affected by the proposed project may lodge an appeal against the Agency’s decision (EIA not required) with the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) within thirty’ (30) days of the publication of the notice.
All appeals against the EPA’s decision, it notes, should be addressed to:
The Chairman
The Environmental Assessment Board
E-mail: eabguyana21@gmail.com
Website: www.epaguyana.org
