Construction sector accounts for 1100 pollution complaints – EPA

As the country’s construction sector continues to rapidly expand, a significant number of complaints has been received by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the sector and its operations.
This was revealed by Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsram, on Wednesday during an edition of the EPA’s 360 programme.
Parsram noted that while the country is at the peak of its development trajectory, it is important for stakeholders to ensure that the developments happening in the various sectors do not affect the environment and citizens’ health.
In fact, he referenced the country’s booming construction sector, which he noted has been on the agency’s radar for quite some time, with a significant number of complaints having been received from persons. The director highlighted that a process must be followed before the organization takes action.
“We have to let natural justice and we also have to let, you know, understand the situation before we take a point of action; and in this case, with road construction, it would require other agencies to become involved. Many of our roads are subcontracted.”
He added, “The problem is that they may have all the systems in place, but then you have a subcontractor who is to bring materials to the road, and these truck drivers they drive like they don’t care, they try to get as much trips in, and then they drive and they don’t abide by speed limits. And when you don’t do that, in an open road, fast driving, dry conditions will cause noise, vibration and dust”.
Moreover, the director revealed that, over the last 2 years, the agency has received over 1000 complaints from citizens. He explained that addressing these complaints has been a challenge to the agency due to its small workforce.
“There are so many things that are happening, so many complaints right now, we have in excess, I would say over 1,100 complaints. That is only between the last two years. We’ve managed to investigate 300 and deal with them; we have another 866. What we’re doing relies that we do not have all the resources. We are only 170-something staff, and that includes administrative as well as the technical. So, imagine complaints from all sectors across the country.”
In fact, Parsram revealed that complaints from the construction sector over the years have accounted for a significant number of complaints recorded by the agency, even surpassing high risk sectors like Oil and Gas.
“If you ask me, this is our biggest threat. Not oil and gas, not the mining or the forestry, because those are controlled, but these activities are unpermitted activities across the country… So, we have to strategize and use, you know, where do we put our resources, we have to put our resources where the bigger problems are, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Moreover, to address the growing issue, the EPA plans to collaborate with private sector agencies such as the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), among others, to sensitise stakeholders, to inform them of best practices which will reduce pollution caused by their operations.