Routledge declines lawyer’s request for suspension of meetings on gas project

Responding to calls by local Attorney-at-Law Elizabeth Deane-Hughes to postpone the planned public consultation for the gas-to-power project until the expiry of the mandatory 60 days comments/ objections period, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge has said that the sessions are intended to be complementary to the review process and should proceed.

Deane-Hughes, in identical letters on May 5th, addressed to Routledge and Executive Director of the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) Kemraj Parsram, highlighted a number of concerns with the proposed consultations for the gas-to-power project. She argued that citizens should be allowed, uninterrupted, the time to comb through the voluminous document and then raise their concerns.

“…[the PR campaign] adds nothing to the already submitted EIA&EIS but may act as a distraction factor and even muddy the waters of good intentions. EEPGL and/or ExxonMobil is not in a competitive process for the issuance of permits for the gas-to-energy pipeline so a mere postponement will not affect the decision made. In fact, if they chose to conduct their campaign in the June-August 2022 period this can be comprehended as a sign of respect and goodwill for the people of Guyana, a country where they are concentrating their current future developments and investments inter alia,” her letter had said.

In a reply dated May 11, 2022, Routledge explained that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Disclosure Sessions are designed to allow the independent Third-Party Consultant, who conducts the EIA, an opportunity to share with community members their findings of the potential impacts of the project.

“These sessions are intended to be complementary to the EIA review process and provide stakeholders with an impartial summary of the project, and the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. This exchange is an important part of stakeholder engagement and open communication, and we believe that these meetings should proceed as planned in the interest of maximising community engagement within the 60 days set out by the EPA,” he explained.

On April 20, ExxonMobil through its consultant Environmental Resource Management (ERM) submitted the environmental study for the US$1.3b gas-to-shore project which the government hopes will lead to vastly lower energy costs that would enable a spurt in manufacturing. There have been doubts over the