Understanding..

FROM PAGE XXVI

As Guyana continues to rapidly develop, the demands on the Environmental Protection Agency are becoming greater. From the oil and gas sector to a massive boom in construction and infrastructure development; the Agency has recognized the critical need to strengthen its human capital to better achieve its mandate of effective management of the environment.

Guyana is a member of IAEA

Guyana became a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2015 and has been benefitting from several regional initiatives. As part of the project’s 2019 implementation, the EPA coordinated a four-day workshop on the Search and Recovery of Radioactive Orphan Sources. Participants were drawn from; the Environmental Protection Agency, Civil Defense Commission, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Revenue Authority, Guyana Geology and Mines Com - mission, University of Guyana, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Puran Brothers Waste Disposal Service, CEVONS Waste Management and Sand Dip Waste Disposal Services. The workshop was facilitated by four (4) international experts from IAEA. This proved a pathway for several other training and capacity building for officers both at the EPA and other state agencies such as the Ministry of Health and the Civil Defense Commission.

The role of the EPA in radiation management

The EPA under the Environmental Protection Act and Regulations currently regulates the import, transport, storage, and use of sealed radiation sources. To date, the Agency has authorised the use of sealed sources in gold mining, health, oil, and gas exploration as well as bev- erage production. In 2017, the IAEA assisted Guyana in commencing work on developing a National Source Inventory. The Agency is moving towards adherence to the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources to improve access and effective management of Radioactive Sources. https://www.iaea. org/newscenter/news/ what-is-radiation