Govt. more concerned about making money than safeguarding environment – former EPA boss

Apr 15, 2022 News

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Kaieteur News – The former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams believes that the government has assumed leadership of the regulator body, as the agency no longer has its own authority but rather operates on instructions.

In fact, Dr. Adams argued that the administration is presently more interested in making money, than it is concerned about the environment. The former head of the EPA made these statements during a recent interview with Kaieteur News. He explained that when it comes to flaring of gas offshore Guyana, the government has settled for oil giant, ExxonMobil, to merely pay for the burning of the gas, which not only contributes to climate change, but also further impacts marine species.
In fact, Dr. Adams made reference to a public statement made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who explained that the administration is implementing the “polluter pays principle” where the operator is forced to pay in exchange for the flaring of gas.
However, the specialist argued, “You cannot set environmental regulations to say it’s okay to pollute as long as you can pay for it. The EPA is supposed to set standards to protect the health and safety of the environment and you know what fines are for? You don’t pay to pollute. It’s just ignorance because the Vice President himself said that well, we are now using this polluter pays principle but this mechanism is not to pay while you pollute.”
Dr. Adams went on to explain that the polluter pays principle is geared towards ensuring that the polluter pays in the event of an unfortunate or unforeseen circumstance. An example, he said, would be forcing an oil company to pay for clean up costs associated with an oil spill rather than allow it to discharge oil into the ocean as long as it pays for the damages.
To this end, the former head of the EPA argued, “It’s not to pay to say okay as long as I can pay I can pollute. That’s basically saying that as long as you can pay to pollute then you don’t need an Environmental Protection Agency. An EPA is not in the business of making money, it’s a penalty for after the fact not during the fact.”
The specialist reasoned that when operators in the field realize that governments are strict and are bent on ensuring principles are adhered to, they then become more efficient and environmentally sound. According to him, those companies would seek to ensure that their operations are run smoothly to avoid being shut down.
However, he warned that if the operator continues to function in a lack luster manner, it can spell disaster for a country.
“Safety, health and the environment is more important than that what is drilled…it is always paramount,” he urged.
Presently, ExxonMobil through its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) which is the operator in the Liza Phase One project currently producing oil, is presently flaring the gas that is pumped from the ground that comes to the surface with oil.
The Environmental Permit allows for the oil company to flare gas while its equipment is under maintenance, during startup of production or other emergencies. Exxon’s gas compressor has been inoperable for about two years now. As the equipment remains under maintenance, the oil company has been flaring excess gas and paying the EPA a US$5 fee per tonne of Carbon Dioxide equivalent released.
In this regard, Dr. Adams said, “The government does not want Exxon to stop or to cut back on the production of oil because this government all they are concerned about is getting as much oil money as possible. However, in the United States we feel the same way too, you know, you want to get as much money from mineral production and oil production but you have to do it safely.”
He added, “They (government) have been trying to make money as much as possible, but you don’t do it at the expense of the environment and people’s livelihoods.” In a previous interview with Kaieteur News, Dr. Adams explained the dangers the environment is exposed to, as a result of gas flaring. According to him, over 200 pollutants are released in the process.
“When it goes up, it has to come down, so besides Global warming and climate change and all of that type of stuff, it has things like nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, and when those mix with the moisture from the atmosphere it forms an acid, and so that is called acid rain,” the former EPA head pointed out.
He was keen to note that when the acidic water falls, it enters the ocean and affects fish, farming and the entire ecology.

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