Beal not averse to Guyana lobbying for satellite technology transfer approval
By Gitanjali Singh
Beal Aerospace Technologies is tight-lipped on its lobbying efforts to secure US approval to transfer satellite technology to Guyana but the firm is not averse to the government joining its efforts. "We would certainly be delighted to work with the Government of Guyana to obtain the necessary permission to build the spaceport in Guyana," Beal's Vice-President and legal counsel, David Spoede, said on Tuesday. However, Spoede would not say whether Beal had asked or suggested to the government that it join the company's efforts to secure the permission required for a spaceport to be established in Guyana. Government lobbyist in Washington, Paul Reichler, on Tuesday indicated he had not been asked by the government to join the lobbying effort and throw the government's weight behind the firm. However, he indicated that such a request might be forthcoming. The government, in March, signed the deal with Beal of Texas to establish a spaceport in Guyana, subject to the findings of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study. Spoede indicated that the firm will wait until its gets the US State Department's approval to export satellite technology and equipment to Guyana before it gives the nod for the EIA to be done. An interim environmental permit to clear the area and start draining the land in the Waini is not on the cards at present, Spoede indicated. Beal is still working unofficially to secure enough support at the US State Department, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Defence before it submits a formal application for a licence to export satellite technology and equipment to Guyana. Reichler, in an invited comment, said he expected the major issue with the US government to be security of the technology sought to be transferred to Guyana. "Generally, satellite technology is very sophisticated technology and the US government will not want this to fall into unfriendly hands. The Government of Guyana is a close friend of the US and it will not be worried about Guyana obtaining access to such technology. But it might be worried that in any foreign country there might be a security problem that will allow for the technology, equipment or design information to fall into unfriendly hands," Reichler stated. He did not see Venezuela's statements opposing the deal as having any effect on the US government's response to an application by Beal to have such technology transferred to Guyana. "My opinion is that the comments of Venezuela will not have any impact on the decision by the US government as it recognises the Essequibo to be a part of Guyana. Since Guyana is not using a part of this territory for a hostile act against Venezuela, I doubt that the US government will pay much attention to the protest made about the spaceport by Venezuela," Reichler asserted. For Reichler, the security issue is a "serious one" and the burden is on Beal and the government to demonstrate that there is no serious risk for breaches in security. "[The US approval to transfer such technology to Guyana] is not a foregone conclusion either way," Reichler said. But for Reichler, approval or rejection of the application by Beal should not take longer than six months. Spoede anticipates that it may be a bit longer than this. He envisions that the process should take between six to nine months and expects that by early to mid 2001, once approval is secured, the EIA will commence. In the current scheme of things, Spoede anticipates that with all the requisite approvals, work on the spaceport in Guyana should commence in 18 months to two years. Beal expects to launch its first satellite from Cape Canaveral in two and a half years time.
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