Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman announced that the Government will set aside a portion of oil revenues to respond to an oil spill should any occur as a result of oil production offshore Guyana.
He was speaking at the start of a stakeholder workshop to fine-tune a draft Oil Spill Contingency Response Plan today at the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Thomas Lands, Georgetown.
He noted that support mobilization began since 2017 with the procurement of four containers of oil spill response equipment and accessories including booms, skimmers, and dispersant etc.
These are presently stored at the CDC’s Alternate National Emergency Operations Center (ANEOC) at Timehri and will soon be pre-positioned at various locations to facilitate ease in deployment should the need arise, Trotman stated.
He said that with six successful oil discoveries thus far, accounting for 3.2 billion barrels of oil and counting, the importance of a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan takes on an even more important role.
“While as a Government, we are cognizant of the potential risks which comes with developing this new-found petroleum resource we are equally committed to the protection of our environment and Guyana continues to be a fierce proponent for its protection internationally,” Mr Trotman stated.
In 1998, Guyana became a member of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) and a signatory to the IMO’s International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation(OPRC). In 2010, Guyana acceded to the Cartagena Convention and all three of its protocols including the “Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region”.
Mr Trotman noted that the IMO guidelines have been a driving force in the design of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
According to the Minister, the Government has embarked on a National Green State Development Strategy which prioritizes the protection and preservation of the environment for current and future generations.
He said one of the seven guiding principles of the Strategy is the sustainable management of the country’s natural resources which includes the entire coastal area where fishing and farming are conducted.
Both freshwater and the offshore marine environment which makes up our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“This overarching strategy provides our most significant commitment to the preservation of our environment in tandem with the development of our resources.
“In fact, we have committed to using the revenue from development of our natural resources to advance the preservation of our environment.
“Guyana must be known not as an oil producing nation but as a nation that used its massive resources to protect its environment which also includes it people and the communities they live in,” Mr Trotman stated.
As such, he said the Civil Defence Commission can be assured of the full support of the of the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Mr Trotman announced that capacity building is forthcoming through training for stakeholder representatives in the areas of Incident Command Systems (ICS) and Fundamentals of Oil Spill Management.
These trainings will be held between April 23-28, 2018 at the CDC’s emergency operations centre at Timehri and Splashmin’s Resort respectively.
The Minister stated that stakeholder involvement at all levels is also critical to the development of a robust plan that can hold its own internationally and protect our country in the event of an oil spill.
“I am happy to see that the CDC has taken a truly collaborative approach to the development of the plan by involving important stakeholders (Guyana Energy Agency, Maritime Administration Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Guyana Defence Force) in the process.
“The plan will also be reviewed by Cabinet after consultations are completed,” he stated.
