PEG1100 - Introduction to Health,

Safety, and the Environment

Name : Rayanna Ward
Student USI: 1045611

Open Book Assignment

Discussing strategies named in Guyana to address oil spills
Introduction

An oil spill is the release of liquid petroleum into the environment and is a form of pollution. The term is usually
given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.
Some examples would be the releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs, and wells, as well
as spills of refined petroleum products, or heavier fuels used by large ships. This may have many effects on the
environment and economy. On a basic level, oil spill effects will damage waterways, marine life, and plants and
animals on the land. The impact of oil spills can also ruin the infrastructure and economy of an area, and the
long-term effects felt for decades. Offshore oil production began in Guyana in 2019, and operators in Guyana's
basin are required to have an oil spill plan which must be approved by the CDC. In the event of an oil spill, some
strategies are needed to be put in place to minimize any damage.
Such strategies will be discussed throughout this report.
List of strategies in place

TIERED RESPONSE PLANNING SYSTEM

For the plan, spills are classified as Tier One (1), Two (2), and Three (3) spills, as seen in Figure 1. Classification is
dependent upon the type and amount of spill, the resources required and the level of support both nationally,
regionally, and internationally. Other factors that can determine the tier of response required are environmental
sensitivity, socioeconomic impacts, and threats to public health.
(Guyana National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (August 2020), n.d.)

Figure 1 – Tiers of Response for Oil Spills

Facilities and vessels operating within the Exclusive Economic
Zone of Guyana shall ensure that adequate equipment and
personnel are on-site to respond to a Tier 1 Spill.
They shall also have a vessel or facility Response Plan which
outlines a response to any scenario within the tiered response
planning framework. Additionally, operators should have the
following: (including and not limited to) standing contracts with
Oil Spill Response Organizations, equipment, personnel
providers, and other mutual aid agreements.
Description of strategies
Tier 1: Local/Facilitated response

Tier 1 spill are generally small in size, affect only a local area, and may be dealt with by the individual operator.
Scenarios with a high probability to occur but with a small impact are deemed as Tier 1. Local Response means a
hazardous materials emergency response in the local government area where team members normally conduct
emergency response activities and those areas where the local government has a hazardous materials mutual
response agreement in place and the responding team does not respond as a state team.
Tier 2: National-level response

Tier 2 spills are most likely to extend outside the remit of the Tier 1 response area and possibly be larger, where
additional resources are needed from a variety of potential sources and a broader range of stakeholders may be
involved in the response. The National level Response Plan is an all-discipline, all-hazards plan that establishes a
single, comprehensive framework for the management of domestic incidents.
Tier 3: Regional and integrational response

Tier 3 spills, due to their scale and likely major impacts, need substantial response resources from national and/or
international sources. Global resources necessary for spills require a substantial additional response due to
incident scale, complexity, and/or impact potential. The Regional and integrational response would be the
involvement of two or more nations for assistance.
Summary
An oil spill is an escape of oil into the sea or other bodies of water. Oil spills can harm sea creatures, ruin a day at the beach,
and make seafood unsafe to eat. It takes sound science to clean up the oil, measure the impacts of pollution, and help the
ocean recover. Guyana developed a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan and has conducted a series of virtual and practical
onshore and offshore simulation exercises. The strategies put in place can be divided into Tiers.

Tier 1(Local/Facilitated response),Local Response means a hazardous materials emergency response in the local government
area where team members normally conduct emergency response activities and those areas where the local government has a
hazardous materials mutual response agreement in place and the responding team does not respond as a state team.

Tier 2 (National-level response), The National level Response Plan is an all-discipline, all-hazards plan that establishes a
single, comprehensive framework for the management of domestic incidents.

Tier 3 (Regional and integrational response), The Regional and integrational response would be the involvement of two or
more nations for assistance.
Conclusion

An accidental oil spill is among the oil and gas activities that can result in significant humanitarian, environmental
and socio-economic goals. As such careful planning is needed to guarantee that adverse impacts are limited.
Therefore Guyana has a National oil spill contingency plan for being prepared for an oil spill. The strategies put in
place are divided into 3 tiers:

Tier 1(Local/Facilitated response),

Tier 2 (National-level response), and

Tier 3 (Regional and integrational response).

 Reference
Chavis, J. (2019, November 22). The Effects of Oil Spills. Sciencing. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from

https://sciencing.com/effects-oil-spills-5134989.html

GAPS IN GUYANA'S OIL SPILL RESPONSE PROMPT GREATER ACTION FROM LOCAL BODIES. (2022, November 9). YouTube.

Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOc26OIJyOs

Guyana better prepared for oil spill response – Department of Public Information, Guyana. (2022, June 7). Department of Public Information.

Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://dpi.gov.gy/guyana-better-prepared-for-oil-spill-response/

Guyana National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (August 2020). (n.d.). Petroleum Management Programme. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from

https://petroleum.gov.gy/documents/guyana-national-oil-spill-contingency-plan-august-2020#flipbook-df_intro_button/30/

Local Response Definition. (n.d.). Law Insider. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/local-response

Oil spill. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill