Dear Editor,
I read a release in the Stabroek News DD 8/14/2024, about a $214M waste treatment plant at Coverden, East Bank, Demerara. The article indicated that ‘The agreement was initially signed by the Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh. It was officially handed over by Guyana’s Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop to the Chief Executive Officer of Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, (PWSI), Mahendra Jettoo.’
I am from the village of Coverden, and I cannot recall consultations with villagers and the company, Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, (PWSI) about an oil and gas waste treatment plant. Did the government or others have consultations with the residents of Coverden on this waste treatment facility?
The article further indicated ‘The treatment plant will see non-incinerator technology used to process waste generated by the Oil and Gas companies and other industries. This will then be converted into reusable oil.’ We look forward to engaging in consultations with this company on this waste treatment plant.
Some initial questions are: How will the oil and gas waste be transported to Coverden; by road, the Demerara River, or other? Where will the solid waste from the treatment process or ‘slag’ be disposed? The article indicated that “one of the byproducts would be ‘slag,’ which is safe to be disposed of in landfill sites.” Where are these landfill sites? Would these landfill sites also be at Coverden? Are there plans to bury the solid waste from the treatment process? If yes, where?
Most importantly, was an Environmental and Social Impact Assess-ment (EIA) as well as an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) done and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Professional Waste Solutions Incorporated, (PWSI) for this project/facility? What are the impacts – social, environmental and health of this facility on the residents of Coverden?
We look forward to answers to these questions and engaging more broadly with those involved in this project at the earliest opportunity.
Sincerely,
Citizen Audreyanna Thomas