The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has waived an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Grove Dialysis and Kidney Centre Inc, following its screening for an environmental permit. The EPA has determined that the project will not significantly affect the environment.
According to a notice published in the Guyana Chronicle, the EPA’s decision was made under Section 11(2) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap. 20:05, Laws of Guyana, which exempts projects from conducting an EIA if they are deemed to have no significant environmental impacts.
The agency cited several reasons for its decision, including that the potential impacts of the project on the physical, biological, and socioeconomic environment will not be significant, as biohazardous waste will be collected and stored in sealed bins, the notice said.
The project is also not located in an environmentally sensitive area, such as an area with rare ecosystems or habitats with species at risk. Further, the application and project summary submitted to the EPA outlined adequate mitigation measures for air, noise, surface water, and soil pollution from the project, according to the notice.
The EPA emphasised that this decision does not constitute approval of the project, but rather a determination that an EIA is not required. The notice added that any person who may be affected by the proposed project may lodge an appeal against the decision within 30 days of its publication. Appeals should be made to the Chairman of the Environmental Assessment Board at eabguyana21@gmail.com.
