Slate at another Chemical Storage Facility for construction
– but no EPA Impact Assessment required
Kaieteur News – Once again, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for construction and operation of another Chemical Storage Facility.
In this case, the proposed project – construction of a Hazardous Materials Storage Facility, is expected to be undertaken by John Fernandes Limited at Plantation Fairfield, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
An EIA is typically conducted by the EPA to evaluate the likely environmental effects of a proposed project or development, taking into account interlinked socio-economic, cultural and human health impacts, both beneficial and detrimental.
However, the EPA stated in a recent public notice, “In accordance with Section 11 (2) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap 20:05, Guyana Laws, the Agency has screened the application for the project listed above to assess the potential environmental impacts, and it has been decided that the project will not significantly affect the environment or human health, and is therefore excluded from the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). “
Be that as it may, it still allows a 30 day period for the public to submit any objections or concerns about the project. Appeals and objections can be submitted to the Environmental Assessment Board at the EPA’s Sophia, Georgetown office.
According to the summary on the EPA website, the project is a container-only storage and transfer facility used to store products and equipment, repackage products in tanks, filter products as they are repackaged, control the quality of operation filter, transport inventory to ship delivery.
“The imported products will be transferred to the proposed site where most products are filtered on transfer to internationally approved containers via a closed loop system to eliminate vapor emissions,” ”Outlined the summary.
The company plans to store chemicals such as “Asphaltene Inhibitor, Corrosion Inhibitor, Biocide, Biocide Filter, Hydrate Inhibitor, Demulsifier, Chlorine Scavenger, Defoamer and Hydrate Inhibitor” all used in the oil and gas sector.
The chemicals would be stored in ISO Tanks built from: 316 grade stainless steel with a capacity of 5,000 gallons per tank; plastic tanks built of high density polyethylene with the 275-gallon capacity, plus steel drums constructed of carbon steel either lined or unlined.