Former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, has called on the Government of Guyana (GoG) to uphold to its moral responsibility to the citizens by demanding an unlimited parent guarantee for oil spills in the Stabroek Block instead of being worried about discouraging investors by doing what is right.
Dr. Adams, a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), made those and other comments during the party’s press conference on Friday.
While responding to recent comments made by Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo and the Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall, he said the government should stand up for Guyanese instead of appearing to support and protect the interests of oil companies.
Jagdeo had cautioned during a press engagement on Thursday that the recent court ruling calling for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to secure an unlimited parent guarantee from ExxonMobil Corporation could affect investors’ confidence and hinder future investments in the country’s oil and gas sector. Similarly, the AG said in a statement, “This ruling can have profound ramifications and grave economic and other impacts on the public interest and national development…”
During the AFC press conference, the former EPA head highlighted that he wholly disagrees with such comments. He then questioned, “Are you telling me that a company that is gonna come in Guyana to explore for oil, and because it’s a requirement for them to take care of any damages that they have incurred they’re not gonna want to come in?”
Dr. Adams said he found it highly preposterous that two senior government officials would seek to hold such a position. He also posited that talks about discouraging investors, is just a tactic that people are now coming up with.
Dr. Adams’ contention is that ExxonMobil Corporation and its partners knew the deal that they were about to sign while he was working at the EPA. He said that there was an explicit arrangement/agreement for Guyana to have an unlimited parent company guarantee before the oil company’s third project in the Stabroek Block was approved.
“Exxon knew the deal they were signing. How come we did not discourage them when they signed up for the parent company guarantee? How come they didn’t refuse and say ‘well okay you know what? I’m gonna leave…” he added.
The former EPA head argued that he would tell the oil companies “we don’t need you”, while claiming they are just coming to Guyana to get rich.
He then called for the government to stand with its people and desist being cheerleaders for oil companies.
