ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

According to CONAMA Resolution No. 001, issued on the 23rd of January/1986, it is considered environmental impact any modification on physical, chemical and biological environment properties, caused by any matter or energy form resulting from human activities that, directly or indirectly, affect:

I – population’s health, safety and well-being;
II – social and economic activities;
III – the biota;
IV – environment aesthetic and health conditions;
V – environmental resources quality.

Licensing of environmental modifier activities will depend on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, to be submitted for approval by the competent state agency. Examples of projects to be licensed are:

a- Roads with two or more lanes;
b- Railways;
c- Ports and terminals handling ores, crude oil and chemical products;
d- Airports;
e- Crude oil pipelines, gas pipelines, ore slurry pipelines, sewage collecting headers and offshore sewers;
f- Electric power transmission lines, above 230 kV;
f- Hydraulic projects for water resources exploration, such as: dam for hydroelectric (above 10 MW), sanitation or irrigation purposes; opening of navigation, draining and irrigation channels; watercourses rectifying; river mouths opening; river basins transposing and dikes;
g- Fossil fuel extraction (oil, shale, coal);
h- Mineral extraction, including Class II, as defined in the Mining Code;
i- Landfills, processing and final disposal of toxic or hazardous waste;
j- Electricity generation plants, whatever the form of primary energy, above 10 MW;
k- Industrial complexes and plants and agro-industrial plants (petrochemicals, steelworks, chlorine chemical compounds, alcohol distilleries, hard coal, water resources cultivation and extraction);
l- Industrial estates and strictly industrial areas;
m- Wood or firewood economic exploration, in areas larger than 100 hectares, or smaller, when reaching significant areas in percentage terms or in importance from an environmental standpoint;
n- Urban projects above 100 ha, or in areas with relevant environmental interest, at judgment of the competent municipal and state agencies;
o- Any activity that uses charcoal, derivatives or similar products in amounts larger than 10 tons per day;
p- Agribusiness projects that comprehend areas larger than 1000 ha or smaller, in this case, when dealing with significant areas, in percentage terms or in importance from an environmental standpoint, including the environmental protection areas.