THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its environmental management and conservation efforts, continues to support socio-economic development. The wise use of natural resources while ensuring the health and wellbeing of all Guyanese is pivotal to the agency’s work. One of the many tools we use to achieve this is the authorisation of developmental activities. Our Environmental Authorisation process provides a robust framework to ensure that developmental activities do not cause adverse impacts to the natural environment and human health. This is achieved through the enforcement of the Environmental Protection Act, Chapter 20:05, Laws of Guyana (EP Act) and its associated regulations. Additionally, the agency is working assiduously to enhance this process through education, partnership, and collaboration. This week’s article will focus on the fees that are associated with obtaining Environmental Authorisation issued by the EPA.
The authorisation process has an established fee structure which allows all developers/ operators an equal opportunity to adhere to the regulations enforced by the EPA. The agency also recovers its costs of processing and granting of Environmental Authorisation from the fees that are required. All applications coming to the agency MUST pay a non-refundable application fee before the application can be processed. These fees are stipulated by the EP Act. However, the final cost of the permit is determined based on the scale of the project (small, medium, large, extra-large) and the likely impacts to the environment (low to high) and the validity period for the Permit (between one to five years). All applications undergo a screening process to guide the final decision of the EPA.
Further details on the various fees are provided below:
FEE TYPE FEES (US $) Small Medium Large Extra Large 1 (a) Application for New Environmental Authorisation 50 50 50 50 1 (b) Application for Environmental Authorisation Renewal 50 75 100 125 2 Environmental Authorsiation (permit)@ C1*
C2*
C3* 100
175
300 500
800
1100
1500
2000
2500 3100 3 Application to vary an Environmental Authorisation For administrative changes 100 For substantive changes 100 125 150 175 4 Application for written authorisation of changed conditions 100 200 300 400 5 Application to transfer an environmental authorisation 50 50 50 50 6 Surrender of environmental authorisation 50 50 50 50 7 Application to operate a sound-making device 20
*C1-C3 – indicates low to high significance in terms of environmental impact, based on EPA fee screening criteria for new projects.
@ – fee stated is per year, permit can be issued for up to five years

Be reminded that projects related to infrastructure, service industries, processing plants, mining/ mineral processing, agriculture, wood processing, waste handling, and activities with the use of loudspeakers or other sound-making devices MUST be authorised by the EPA. Therefore, if you are operating in any of these sectors without an Environmental Authorisation, you are breaking the Law and can be persecuted.

Further, under the EP Act, fines and penalties can be imposed for failure to comply with the conditions of any permit granted by the EPA.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, Georgetown, or email us at eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.