Letter sent to Engine 1's Directors on Board of Directors of ExxonMobil

 Letter sent 15 June 2022

Dear Engine 1 Directors on Board of Directors of ExxonMobil, 

Mr. Goff, Ms Hietala, Mr. Karsner, Mr Runevad, 

 

Greetings of wellbeing. 

 

Since 2016 ExxonMobil has been developing oil fields in the seas of Guyana, a country  which has a Green State Agenda and has been awarded the prestigious #1” Best of Ecotourism” destination award. This sparsely populated country, under-educated in the Oil & Gas sector, is unable to combat the onslaught of the rapidity of the oil field developments and the proposed upcoming gas sector development. These developments have serious consequence on both the environment and its multi-ethnic people as the multi-national fails to adhere to the environmental and legal regulations of Guyana. ExxonMobil is currently concentrating  most of its future development in the oil and gas sector in this country located on the northern coast of South America. From the inception, Liza-1 Oil Field Development, ExxonMobil has ignored concerns expressed locally and internationally in the following areas inter alia: 

  • No parent company insurance 
  • Controversial environmental impacts in Liza-1, Liza-2, Yellowtail oil field development permits. 
  • Lengthy startup time taken for flaring 
  • Illegal and continuous gas flaring 
  • Illegal dumping of toxic waste water in the sea 
  • Permits do not align with International best practice 
  • ExxonMobil refuses to sign, put names of directors, address as per the regulations of the Guyana under its Environmental Protection Act Section 11 and its Regulations Section 17 
  • ExxonMobil’s upcoming proposal for a pipeline development in the nascent gas sector is fraught with environmental irregularities and non-compliance with legal requirements. 

 

The recent newspaper articles highlight some of the issues: 

 ExxonMobil fails to adhere to environmental permit but seeking more approvals – Kaieteur News (kaieteurnewsonline.com) 

& 

ExxonMobil evading liability for oil mishaps by not signing Environmental Impact Studies – Former EPA Head – Kaieteur News (kaieteurnewsonline.com) 

 

 

The most immediate urgency is the proposed development of the Gas sector. On 20 April 2022, ExxonMobil submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Environmental Impact Strategy (EIS) to the Environmental Protection Agency replete with not adherence to the legislation, regulations and contracts:- 

  • No consultation of primary stakeholders who live along the proposed pipeline route 
  • No name of developer, ExxonMobil on the submitted documents, nor that of board of directors 
  • No proof of ownership of land where proposed pipeline will be laid 
  • No evidence of feasibility study as per 1794/2017 Petroleum Agreement 
  • Evidence of draft documents in the technical reports. These aforesaid written documents have prohibitive exclusion clauses 
  • No Gas Leak Pipeline Management Plan or System in submitted EIA/EIS 
  • No response to questions being asked. 

 

On 18 June 2022 the prescribed period for comments as per Environmental Protection Act ends. Once this period ends ExxonMobil moves unto the permission stage with the abovementioned non adherence to rule of law of Guyana. This would mean that the Gas sector would be ungovernable and unregulated. Guyana has no Gas Leak Management Plan nor System and ExxonMobil has full knowledge of this – kindly see attached letter signed and delivered to their local offices. 

 

 Attorney seeks CARICOM intervention over Exxon’s failures in environmental assessment – Kaieteur  

(kaieteurnewsonline.com). 

 

Immediate attention from Engine 1’s Board members is needed before 18 June to stop this devolvement into a Rule of Law/ Constitutional Crisis propelled by ExxonMobil actions and non-responses. 

 

We the people of the Republic of Guyana seek your intervention to prevent our beautiful green lust country Guyana from heading into instability due to ExxonMobil’s lack of adherence to environmental norms & legal requirements. 

 

Trust we will hear from you in time. 

 

Thank you for your attention. 

 

Kind regards,

Elizabeth Deane-Hughes

Alissa Trotz

Isabelle DeCaries

Jocelyn Dow

Arthur Thijm

Michael Adams

Sharmaine Narine

Pamela Fraser

Hollis France

Vanda Radzik

Janette Bulkan

Danuta Radzik

Nesha Haniff

Jerry Jailall

Darshanand Khusial

Frederick Collins

Karen de Souza

Nichola Joy Marcus

Halima Khan

Susan Collymore

Wintress White

Troy Thomas

Colin Klautky

Pauline Melville

Lisa Edwards

Abbyssinian Carto

Kathleen Rodney-Scott

Pauline E. Bullen

Luke Daniels

Alfred Bhulai

Charlene Wilkinson

Rod Westmaas

Juanita Cox

Melina Harris

Joel Simpson

Nigel Westmaas

Menakshi Babulal

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