Alister Routledge, the President of ExxonMobil Guyana, is of the firm conviction that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is wasting the government’s money as well as that of the oil giant’s by choosing to go to court over a small environmental issue.
Routledge reminded that the EPA is of the belief that the company should pay for at least three of the six hydraulic fluid spills that occurred in the Stabroek Block earlier this year. The fines for those three spills total US$1500. ExxonMobil, according to the EPA, has already paid up US$500 for one spill. But it is refusing to pay a cent more. As a result, EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams has asked his lawyers to prepare the agency’s case for court.
But Routledge believes that this could be a waste of time for both parties as he noted today during an interview with media operatives that the fines are not applicable since the spills resulted in no environmental harm.
“…This is not the best use of the government’s money or our money to take such a relatively small issue to court. That is why I asked Dr. Adams to have the lawyers speak, and we try to work through those details and try to come to a solution which is more constructive,” the official stated.
