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VP Jagdeo praises Oil Spill Bill for holding transportation vessels accountable as ExxonMobil gets free pass
Kaieteur News- Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday lauded the Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Bill for expanding on parties that can be held liable for causing an oil spill in Guyana.
The Chief Policymaker for the petroleum sector was at the time responding to criticisms on the proposed legislation, which was passed in the National Assembly on May 16, but is still awaiting the President’s approval.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo
Jagdeo pointed out that the Bill not only expands on the offending entities but clearly defines all of the liabilities.
He explained, “So in the past, we could have only gone after the oil companies. Now we have expanded this to vessels transporting fuel through our territory. So, if you have a spill caused by an oil rig, they’re liable now, or if you have a spill caused by a vessel, then they too would be liable, so that’s the first thing.”
Further, the VP noted that the responsible party will not only be liable for cleanup costs, but other related losses in the event of such an incident.
In accordance with Clause 19 of the Bill, the responsible party will be liable for “(a) damage to real or personal property, and economic losses resulting therefrom; (b) loss of taxes, royalties, rents, fees, or profit shares, loss of profits or impairment of earning capacity due to the injury, destruction, or loss of real or personal property, or natural resources; (c) loss or damage caused by preventive measures; and (d) damage related to impairment of the environment.”
While the VP has praised the proposed legislation for holding transportation and other vessels responsible for an oil spill, the law has been criticized for failing to secure unlimited protection from oil giant, Exxon Mobil.
Clause 17 of the Law states, “A responsible party is liable for all damages caused by an oil spill incident, removal and removal costs, and restoration of environment as far as practicable, and for any costs arising therefrom or connected therewith.”
To this end, the Opposition argued that the limited liability company, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) will not be able to seek the financial assistance of the parent company, ExxonMobil Corporation, in the event it fails to meet the required clean up and compensation costs.
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