Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said draft oil spill legislation will be ready soon.
“Within a week, we’ll get the draft for the environmental spill legislation to ensure that we safeguard the country, fortify it with a law that forces these companies to own liability should there be an oil spill if it comes, whether from the operators of the oil and gas sector or even from a shipping company,” Jagdeo said during a May 30 press conference.
The government is expected to publish the legislation for a period of public scrutiny and comments. Following this period, acceptable public comments may be incorporated into the draft before it is tabled in the National Assembly for debate.
As oil production increases offshore Guyana, there has been protracted discourse about the potential for an unmitigated disaster.
As Trinidad and Tobago battled an oil spill on the beaches of the smaller island, Jagdeo announced the government’s plan for the legislation in March.
A tug and barge bound for Guyana were involved in the Tobago spill. The Trinidad government estimated the damage from the spill as high as US$20 million. Trinidad, according to reports, has secured international compensation for ongoing clean-up efforts.
