While the new Demerara River bridge project is being exempted from conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Executive Director Kemraj Parsram says that an Environmental Assessment and Management Plan will have to be done instead.
In a public notice on Wednesday, the EPA said it screened the environment permit application for the new bridge across the Demerara River and determined that “it will not significantly affect the environment” hence, it is exempted from conducting an EIA as outlined in Section 11 of the Environmental Protection Act.
Speaking with this publication, Parsram explained that while the full-scale EIA was not required to be done, an assessment was still needed so that the Ministry can outline how it intended to address the issues that are not significant or irreversible that were identified in the project before the permit was approved.
“Based on the information they provided to us and based on our site visits, we determined that we do not need a full-scale Environmental Impact Assessment. We just need an assessment to [address] some of the issues we identified in the screening and for them to propose how they intend to manage those minor issues. So, they’re not required to do a full-scale impact assessment; they are just to do an Environmental Assessment and Management Plan to deal with some minor issues that we identified which are not significant and are not irreversible,” he stated.
According to the EPA Director, all projects have an impact but the critical aspect is whether the impact is significant. He described “significant impact” as being irreversible – such as deaths, damages, health threats and so on.
“In this case, there will be some impacts, but they will not be significant and because of that, we still require for them to identify clearly-outlined impacts that are typical during construction, for example, air emissions, noise. And for them to purpose measures to address those minor issues that are not irreversible,” Parsram said.
He added too, “We ask them to go and do a little more detailed assessment and it also include anything relating to residents – if they may have to engage residents and discuss any potential alignment issues with houses… When they do that assessment and consult with those residents, and provide their Management Plan to us, we will then use that to determine the approval of the project and we then issue a permit.”
Parsram went on to point out that that screening method is also used by international organisations such as the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC), whereby they screen projects and determine via categories whether a certain project requires a full-scale EIA or just an environmental assessment or nothing at all.
“So, it is our screening process that helps us to determine that. Not every project must have a full environment impact assessment as stipulated in the Act. We have that discretion, based on the information we have, to determine what scale of assessment is required,” the EPA Head stated.
The new Demerara River bridge would land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
Only last month, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the contract for the new Demerara River bridge would be signed by the end of this year.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill subsequently told this newspaper that the financial proposals from the nine prequalified companies were due in early October and thereafter, Government would move to select the “preferred contractor”.
The Public Works Ministry in April launched the bid documents for the “long-awaited and extremely necessary” new Demerara River Bridge. Initially, 21 Expressions of Interest (EoIs) were received for the project, but only nine bidders were shortlisted.
They are: China State Construction Eng Corp (China); Ballast Needam Infra Suriname BV (headquartered in The Netherlands); China Geizhouba Group Co Ltd (China); JV – China Railway International Group Co Ltd, China Railway Major Bridge Eng Group Co Ltd, Reconnaissance & Design Inst Co Ltd (China); JV – China Road & Bridge Corp Peutes y Calzadas Infrastructuras SLU (China and Spain); JV – OECI SA and Odebrecht Engenharia E Coonstrucao SA OEC (Brazil); JV – China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Ltd, China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Co Ltd, and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co Ltd (China & Trinidad and Tobago); JV – Rizzani de Eccher S p A & Preconco Ltd (Italy and Barbados), and Boskalis Guyana Inc Eiffage Genie Civil (Guyana & Netherlands).
These prequalified bidders are required to submit their proposals for either a Design, Build and Finance (DBF) option, or a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM) option.
The new bridge across the Demerara River will be a high fixed-span design with a 50-metre flyover at minimum to allow for marine vessels to pass without any interruption to vehicular traffic.
The new bridge is expected to be completed in two years from the date of the commencement order.
