FOLLOWING months of work, Guyana’s National Oil Spill Contingency Plan was completed and the finalised document handed over to the Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips.
The PM, last Friday, received the document from Director-General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, at his Colgrain House, Camp Street office.
In expressing great satisfaction in receiving the plan, Prime Minister Phillips stated that such a strategy will assist the government’s programme of disaster preparedness in the sector.

He expressed gratitude to the CDC for the work done and singled out Ms. Anita Wilson-Layne for her coordination of the stakeholders and compilation of the comprehensive plan. He used the opportunity to assure Guyanese that with such a plan that commits the efforts of multi-sectoral agencies, the country’s preparedness and response will be to the benefit of all.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Craig informed that the work on the finished plan was months in the making and involved the input of many key stakeholders including the Maritime Administrative Department (MARAD), Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the CDC.

He noted that with Guyana’s emerging Oil and Gas Sector, the need was highlighted for an oil spill response mechanism that will protect Guyana’s land and sea resources should the need arise.

The National Emergency Oil Spill Plan was crafted with valuable inputs from the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Shipping Association of Guyana, ExxonMobil, Tullow, Guyana Oil Company ( Guyoil), Repsol, Shell, GAICO Construction and other stakeholders.