Stabroek News
May 16, 2001

Any operation that emits effluents or contaminants must now be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], according to a release issued on Monday.

Registration forms can be uplifted from the Agency at Turkeyen, all Regional Democratic Council offices or downloaded from the EPA website [http://www.epaguyana.org]. The deadline for registration is 31 July 2001 and a registration fee of $4000 will be charged for processing and updating the register. The release stated that failure to register may result in a fine of between $30,000 and $80,000.

Operations Director of the EPA, Denise Fraser, explained that the registration formed part of the implementation of the Pollution Management Regulations [PMR], which were passed in December last in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act of 1996.

The Pollution Management Regulations are made up of four parts:
1. Air Quality
2. Noise Management
3. Water Quality
4. Hazardous Wastes Management.

The release stated that "the registration process will enable the agency to develop a record of all operations/facilities which produce contaminants in Guyana.

"This information may be used at a later date for consideration as to whether or not the operation/facility has the potential to create adverse impacts on the environment."

Any such operation or facility would be required to apply for an environmental authorisation or permit.

The release stated further that "under the Environmental Protection [Authorisation] Regulations, a person who at the commencement of these regulations causes any pollution [in any of the above activities] shall apply to the agency for an environmental authorisation."

This would enable the EPA to monitor and assist developers in good environmental management via operational guidelines and performance standards. According to the release, transportation vessels other than ships, construction of housing schemes, temporary building machinery and non-commercial or non-industrial facilities will be exempt from this process.

Also exempt from registering are those developers who have already been granted permits from the EPA or have applications pending as they are already on the register.

"This is the first stage in implementing the regulations," Fraser stated. "The registration process will help us get a feel for the situation on the ground."

She explained that the EPA has combined traditional and innovative approaches to enforcing the new regulations.

"We are not just taking the command and control approach, whereby if you transgress you are fined," she explained. "We are also allowing for negotiation between the EPA and particularly existing industries.

"We are looking at providing incentives to encourage industry to go in the right direction and are working on environmental management systems to support this.

"We also hope to provide access for industry to information on establishing such systems as well as a fund that will allow low-interest loans for the establishment of these systems."

Fraser remarked that the incentive scheme was still being worked out and would probably need some assistance from the Ministry of Finance.

Operations that have to be registered include: industrial complexes, service/gas stations, funeral parlours, slaughter houses, livestock production, food-processing plants, goldsmiths, logging and textile mills.

The EPA said that if there was any confusion over the need to register operations, it should be contacted and consulted.