Dear Editor,
As I write this letter, I am very stressed, this government is stressing us out. Imagine, the government recently signed an agreement with Professional Waste Solutions Inc. (PWSI) for an oil and gas waste treatment facility at Coverden, East Bank, Demerara. As I read the articles in the press on this venture it had a lot of wonderful things to say about this waste treatment plant/investment being aligned with the government’s objective of achieving Goal six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is to achieve, clean water and sanitation by 2030. The article also indicated that this is a part of the government’s programme to not only meet but exceed global environmental standards, positioning our country as a leader in eco-friendly industrial solutions.
Nowhere in these articles did G-Invest, Professional Waste Solutions Inc. (PWSI) or the government mention SDG Goal 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Target 3.9 of SDG Goal 3 indicates that by 2030, countries must substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination’. How will putting an oil and gas waste treatment plant in a residential community achieve this?
What is interesting, is that no Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environ-mental Management Plan (EMP) was done to determine the risks and impacts on the environment and social aspects in Coverden and on the health of the residents in the village.
Editor, do you know what is also distressing? My family is from Coverden. We have been residents and landowners in the village since the 1840’s. Coverden has about 459 persons and my family is about 250 of those residents and the government is aware of this. We have even developed a ‘Family Poverty Reduction Strategy’ and a ‘Family Growth and Development Plan,’ since there are so many of us in the village and this is a part of our ‘Family Economics Programme’ which we have located in a broader evolving ‘Village Development Plan.’ The strategy and plans foster self-reliance.
Our economic focus for the village will be around three areas: Cultural, heritage and eco-tourism, agriculture and semi-industrial. As villagers, we need investments which are aligned with our core business focus areas, certainly not an oil and gas waste treatment plant. How does an oil and gas waste treatment plant fit into our agriculture; and cultural, heritage and eco-tourism development and business plans? We want to do organic farming. How does an oil and gas waste treatment facility fit into an organic farming community? Our projects would provide employment opportunities to 80-100 people and will transform the community.
Additionally, my family is also in the process of developing two new housing communities ‘Thomasville’ and ‘Clarke Gardens’ these will be middle to high income communities. This will move more family members and people into the community. We have already developed plans for our tourism projects. What are we supposed to do now? After about 185 years of being resident in the village, do we have to pick up our land and move, so that Professional Waste Solutions Inc. (PWSI) can do their oil and gas waste treatment business? One family member said to me that we may also have to dig up our navel strings and those of our ancestors too.
You know what was profound, in a previous encounter with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to a project targeted for the village. The EPA indicated that they observed no historical or cultural symbols in the community. We asked the EPA if they did not consider a family residing in the village since the 1840s as historical, heritage and cultural? But they were looking for physical structures not people. We have a history, heritage, and culture in Coverden. This is the third time villagers have to address matters about oil and gas waste treatment or storing of radioactive materials in the village. When will the government understand that we do not want an oil and gas waste treatment plant or radioactive materials stored in our village?
I must say that we have been trying to work with the government and the government has been trying to work with us, for e.g., we now have all-weather community roads and other facilities are promised and the residents are appreciative. We are trying to build a working relationship with the government, but that relationship must be based on trust.
When I was growing up at Coverden, there were several industries in the village and neighbouring communities which provided employment. Residents used to work in these industries and still do their farming. In Coverden, there was the Clay Brick Factory, Vanceram (a ceramics factory), Demerara Woods/Timbers, Alliance Farm and Kissoons Plywood Factory. In Soesdyke, there was the Guyana Refrigerators Limited (GRL). the Glass Factory and Industrial Domestic Electrical Appliances Limited (IDEAL) at Yarrow-kabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. All of these provided employment for residents from Coverden and neighbouring communities; and these were highly skilled jobs too. What happened to all of these industries?
One cannot help but wonder how was Forbes Burnham able to create all of these industries and employment opportunities, and without oil money? I think that this is a fair question.
We want the Plywood Factory back in Coverden. Recent research showed that the global plywood market share is anticipated to be about US$ 83.51 Billion by 2030 as compared to US$ 55.33 Billion in 2023. It is expected to grow by 6.06% from 2024 to 2030. I am just wondering if the company that managed the Plywood Factory at Coverden is interested in reviving it. Villagers would be more than happy to support them in reviving this factory, the government can provide a ready market. Maybe the government/G-Invest can give a grant, financing, etc. of $500M to the company to resuscitate the Plywood Factory through a Public/Private/People partnership. This could provide employment for about 80 people.
If families and communities would like support with developing ‘Family Poverty Reduction Strategies’ and ‘Family Growth and Development Plans,’ I am happy to provide support. I can also support communities to develop ‘Sustainable Com-munity Development Plans’ and ‘Sustain-able Community Business Plans.’
We have big plans for tourism and agriculture in the village and neighbouring communities and we have already put in a lot of work into these projects over the past years and now one oil and gas waste treatment plant could mess up all of our plans. Is Professional Waste Solutions Inc. (PWSI) business and development ventures more important than ours? The government has to think more long term. What happens after oil?
Finally, what we would like to see is the government’s policy/master plan on collection, treatment and disposal of oil and gas waste, including where the treatment facilities will be located.
Sincerely,
Citizen Audreyanna Thomas
