The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday announced that permission has been granted for Air Services Limited’s (ASL) proposed aircraft operations at the Eugene F Correia International Airport. Based on an evaluation of the company’s permit application, the EPA has determined that the project will not have a significant impact on the environment and ASL was thus exempt from conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
According to a notice posted in yesterday’s Guyana Chronicle newspaper, the EPA’s decision took various factors into account, including the short-term and localized nature of the project’s impact on air quality. The use of protective equipment such as respirators, hard hats, and boots will be implemented for tasks that generate significant amounts of dust or particulate matter.
The notice continued that noise pollution was expected to be moderate, as a curfew has been imposed on aviation and ground activity noise during certain hours.
“A curfew on aviation and ground activity noise is imposed between 18:00 and 06:00 hrs. so aircraft movements will be restricted during this time, including maintenance. Hence, noise emissions are not expected to exceed 100 dB,” it stated.
Further, non-hazardous waste will be managed by Cevons waste management service, while hazardous waste will be handled by trained personnel and removed by an EPA-approved waste management company. Additionally, the risks associated with stormwater and spillage during operation will be mitigated by the installation of oil separators in hangars and treatment systems for wastewater from toilet facilities, the release said.
The EPA also noted that its decision does not confirm project approval and further regulatory procedures may be required.
This newspaper was unable to acquire further information about the project since the summary was not yet posted on the EPA website, as directed in the notice, up to press time yesterday. This is not the first time that a link has been published in an EPA notice which led nowhere. Calls to ASL went unanswered.
