Beal contacts EPA on criteria for interim permit
Beal Aerospace Technologies yesterday contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the requirements for an interim permit to drain and clear the site for its satellite launch operation in Guyana. Vice-President of Beal, David Spoede, said the company was waiting for a response from the EPA office before submitting a formal application for the interim permit to drain and clear the site. However, of more urgency is the need to do a topographical survey of the area to determine which section is best suited for the launch site and this is the government's task. Spoede told Stabroek News from his Texas, USA office that initially, Beal was to do the survey, but the government said it would be doing it at Beal's expense. Beal had asked Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants Inc to submit a proposal to do the topographical survey which was expected to take four months. However, Spoede said that the government will make its own arrangements to do the survey, which will allow for a determination of how long it will take to drain and clear the land. Spoede disclosed that initially, Beal was looking at two launches per month but this did not mean one satellite per launch but could range from one to 20 satellites per launch, depending on size and where the satellites were to be stationed. Beal is currently looking for someone to head its operations in Guyana, Spoede said. (GITANJALI SINGH)
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