EPA must correct its course and refocus on protecting our communities

The more we learn about the EPA’s lack of oversight and thorough review of projects that are harmful to our citizens and the environment, the more it is becoming evident that something is seriously wrong at the agency. Our Amerindian brothers and sisters are not getting the protection from the government as they were promised in the constitution. Luckily, the Deputy Speaker is addressing this issue. Our fellow citizens are at risk in the Houston area, but luckily a talented environmentalist is looking into that issue as well. Our Government needs to hold itself to a higher standard and the Vice President who was recognized internationally as a champion of our planet, needs to demand better from the EPA. An EIA is not to be dismissed so easily. If we are determined to be conservative when it comes to projects that impact our health, then insisting on an EIA would be the better approach.

Those working at the agency are forgetting that they are also in the same boat as everyone else. It serves well to remember the lack of investment in the public hospitals during the 80’s and the deadly impact of those poor decisions on the level of treatment that was received by the highest office in the land. Our decisions must not be based on thinking that it will affect them and not me. Our families’ lives exist in an ecosystem where what happens in an area miles and even oceans away, can have a detrimental impact on our lives. The current pandemic should be a reminder of this fact.

Our people deserve better and our agencies need to rise to the challenges before us. Growth brings with it opportunities for progress, but we must progress in a way that does not create problems for those who come after us. An EIA is the responsible thing to do in most cases where mining of our natural resources is the focus of the project. Our agency can no longer buckle under the burden of what is before us as we develop. Our home grown champion of the planet must not allow Guyana to be reckless in its approach to development. Our Government must show those who they govern that the health and wellbeing of every citizen, no matter how young or old, takes precedence over the reckless and irresponsible generation of wealth. The EPA must correct its course and refocus on protecting our communities from the harm that comes from the mining and resource extraction Industry. Sincerely,

Jamil Changlee

Chairman

The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana