EPA ends Jubilee Fields project EIA public hearing
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has brought to an end its year-long national public hearing on Jubilee Fields Phase 1 project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the country. The hearing was to evaluate the potential risks and impacts and describe how these risks would be managed, gather people's opinions and involve them in the decision making progress, among others.
Between November 2008 to May 2009, 33 consultation meetings were held in Accra and in the Western Region, where traditional authorities, District Assemblies, fishermen, NGOs, Women groups, opinion leaders among others were in attendance.
Key concerns raised during these meetings include conomic development and community benefits, employment and training, security, infrastructure, fish and fisheries and waste management.
Responding to these concerns at the final public hearing in Accra on Friday, last week, Tullow Oil Ghana Limited, the operator of the Jubilee phase 1 project, promised that it would support district assemblies and community leaders in providing more information on the project.
An Official of Tullow Ghana, Mr. Kofi Ashong, added that the company would appoint locally based Community Liaison Officers to provide information and listen to the communities concerns, stressing that “we will continue to engage with communities throughout the life of the project”.
Furthermore, representatives of the company indicated that they are committed to embrace and value Ghanaian culture and diversity, respect laws and customs, set high standards for the environment, health, safety through responsible operations and management of natural resources and build partnerships for sustainable economic and social development for the benefit of Ghana.
On how stakeholders will benefit, the company identified the economic development for the country through direct income of over 20 years from royalties, taxes, oil revenues and opportunity for businesses in Ghana and the Western Region, to support the oil industry as some of the major benefits to the people.
The environmental impact of offshore oil and gas projects are well known. But the Jubilee project has been designed to avoid or reduce these impacts by putting mitigation strategies in place, such as engineering designs for water treatment facilities, modifying activities to reduce impacts, namely gas re-injection, minimise flaring and chemical selection and usage and preventative maintenance, hinted the officials.
Tullow will work with regulatory agencies to undertake routine seabed surveys to monitor effects of discharges, monitor and report emissions, monitor water discharges and waste disposal and also undertake routine audits and work on continuous improvement in performance.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ms. Sherry Ayitey emphasized that the government would ensure that Ghanaians benefit from the oil wealth. She appealed to Tullow to ensure that fish and fisheries in the area were well managed; adding 40% of Ghanaians depend on these resources for their food.