Exxon’s board members must act to prevent ungovernable gas sector here
Greetings of wellbeing;
This letter is directed to the CEO of ExxonMobil, Darren Woods and board members.
Since 2016 ExxonMobil has been developing oil fields in the seas of Guyana, a country which has a longstanding “green state” vision and progressive agenda that has existed before and since the Rio Earth Conference and including the SIDS Programmes of Action and the Paris Climate Agreement. This vision has existed and has been developed over many decades with successive governments and consistently advocated by Guyanese NGOs and Civil Society. Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples have conserved our world class tropical rain forests for millennia and Guyana has been awarded the prestigious #1 ”Best of Ecotourism” destination award. This sparsely populated country, undereducated and inexperienced in the Oil & Gas sector, is unable to combat the onslaught of the rapidity of the oil field developments and the proposed upcoming gas sector development. The vast majority of Guyanese are unaware of or insufficiently informed of what these new Oil and Gas “developments” are, what is at stake and how their livelihoods and community resources and locations will be affected. These developments have serious consequence on both the environment and its multi-ethnic people as the multi-national fails to adhere to the environmental and legal regulations of Guyana. ExxonMobil is currently concentrating most of its future development in the oil and gas sector in this country located on the coast of South America and which is part of Amazonia and the Caribbean Community. From the inception of the Liza-1 Oil Field Development, ExxonMobil has ignored concerns expressed locally and internationally in the following areas inter alia:
1. No parent company insurance
2. Controversial environmental and social impacts in Liza-1, Liza-2, Yellowtail oil field development permits. 3. Illegal and continuous gas flaring
4. Dumping of toxic waste water in the sea/ocean 5. Transporting of hazardous substances, toxic waste and radioactive sources from its off-shore rigs via ocean, river and road to related on-shore facilities (with no EIAs carried out)
6. Permits do not align with International best practice 7. ExxonMobil refuses to sign, put names of directors, address as per the regulations of the Guyana under its Environmental Protection Act Section 11 and its Regulations Section 17
8. ExxonMobil’s upcoming proposal for a pipeline development in the nascent gas sector is fraught with environmental irregularities, lack of genuine social engagement and documented issues related to affected citizens and communities.
9. Non-compliance with legal requirements.
The most immediate urgency is the proposed development of the Gas sector. On 20 April 2022, ExxonMobil submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Environmental Impact Strategy (EIS) to the Environmental Protection Agency replete with non adherence to the legislation, regulations and contracts:1. No consultation of primary stakeholders who live along the proposed pipeline route
2. No name of developer, ExxonMobil on the submitted documents, nor that of board of directors
3. No proof of ownership of land where proposed pipeline will be laid
4. No evidence of feasibility study as per 1794/2017
Petroleum Agreement
5. No professional Gender Analysis or Gender-related impact assessment or impacts on women specifically assessed
6. No evidence of compliance with Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from any Indigenous Community
7. Evidence of draft documents in the technical reports. These aforesaid written documents have prohibitive exclusion clauses
8. No Gas Leak Pipeline Management Plan or System in submitted EIA/EIS
9. No response to questions being asked.
On 18 June 2022 the prescribed period for comments as per Environmental Protection Act ends. Once this period ends ExxonMobil moves unto the permission stage with the abovementioned non-adherence to rule of law of Guyana. This would mean that the Gas sector would be ungovernable and unregulated. Guyana has no Gas Leak Management Plan nor System and ExxonMobil has full knowledge of this – kindly see attached letter signed and delivered to their local offices.
Attorney seeks CARICOM intervention over Exxon’s failures in environmental assessment – Kaieteur (kaieteurnewsonline.com).
Immediate attention from Engine No 1’s Board members is needed before 18 June to stop this devolving into a Guyana Rule of Law/ Constitutional Crisis propelled by ExxonMobil actions and non responses.
We, the undersigned seek your intervention to prevent our beautiful green lush country Guyana from heading into instability due to ExxonMobil’s lack of adherence to environmental norms, social responsibilities & legal requirements.
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Deane-Hughes
Alissa Trotz
Isabelle de Caires Jocelyn Dow
Arthur Thijm
Michael Adams Sharmaine Narine Pamela Fraser
Hollis France
Vanda Radzik
Janette Bulkan
Danuta Radzik
Nesha Haniff
Jerry Jailall Darshanand Khusial Frederick Collins Karen de Souza
Nicola Joy Marcus Halima Khan
Susan Collymore Wintress White
Troy Thomas
Colin Klautky
Pauline Melville
Lisa Edwards Abbyssinian Carto Kathleen Rodney-Scott Pauline E. Bullen
Luke Daniels
Alfred Bhulai
Charlene Wilkinson Rod Westmaas
Juanita Cox
Melina Harris
Joel Simpson
Nigel Westmaas Menakshi Babulall