Aiming to bring a robust, comprehensive and legal framework to govern the prevention and preparedness for response to oil spill incidents, the landmark ‘oil spill bill’ is set to be tabled in parliament on Monday.

This is according to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who made this known during the airing of his weekly show, ‘Issues in the News’ on Tuesday evening.

Nandlall noted that the bill, which has been referred to in the media as the ‘oil spill bill’, is properly named the “Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Bill of 2025.”

“It’s a landmark bill establishing a robust, modern and comprehensive legal framework to govern the prevention of, preparedness for, response to and liability resulting from oil spill incidents from installations and facilities engaged in petroleum operations under the petroleum activities act across the national territory, including Guyana’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone,” he said.

The piece of legislation he added ensures that every person or entity involved in petroleum activities, including drilling, exploring, producing, storing, handling and transportation of petroleum products, among other things, is held to the highest standards of operational safety and environmental responsibility.

It further enshrines liability for those who may be responsible for any form of oil spilling or negligent oil operations that lead to damages of any kind.

The attorney general said, “significantly, it doesn’t limit liabilities, and it provides very clearly for the responsible party to be held liable for all damages occasioned by the act or omission of that party.”

Additionally, he noted that the bill encompasses a dispute resolution mechanism but also preserves the right for any aggrieved person to approach the high court to seek remedies which include compensation as it relates to petroleum activity that may have caused damage to one’s property, person or the environment.

This piece of legislation brings to Guyana international standards and the international duty of care, which the law requires at the international level for operators in the oil and gas sector to be measured by.

“So, it’s a crucial bill and it’s a landmark legislation that we are introducing,” he said.

While it took some time in preparation, the attorney general said that this is a result of its complex nature and the care that had to be exercised when putting the legislation together.

In January, the Attorney General disclosed that the draft of the bill was completed and sent to the Office of the President for its examination and further action.

The completion of the draft at the time marked a major milestone in the government’s effort to strengthen the country’s legislative framework for environmental protection and liability management in the petroleum industry.

Before this, Guyana had taken several proactive measures to strengthen oil spill preparedness and response capabilities.

Among the efforts was the passage of the Petroleum Activities Bill 2023, which replaced the outdated Petroleum Exploration and Production Act of 1986.