Ibama continues to refuse licensing of the Potássio do Brasil mining project in the Amazon region

Ibama has already refused three times to license the potash mining project of the company Potássio do Brasil in the Amazon region, due to the environmental impacts and conflicts on indigenous lands that will be caused by the undertaking.

The Potássio do Brasil company continues to seek to implement its potash mining project in the Amazon region and continues to fail in this process. This is because Ibama (Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) continues to refuse the licensing request for the exploration be installed in places that threaten the existence of indigenous peoples in the north of the country.

Potássio do Brasil continues to seek to implement its potassium mining project in the Amazon region, but Ibama refuses to conduct licensing 

During a total period of just 4 months, Ibama refused 3 times the request of the company Potássio do Brasil for the licensing of its potassium mining project in the Amazon region, which needs this document to be installed and start exploration. The expansion of the mining project to areas of indigenous lands could put the lives of this population at risk and, even with this constant threat, the government agency continues to refuse to conduct the licensing process and even bar the project. 

In addition, the issue of Potássio do Brasil's venture to explore potassium in the Amazon region has already been debated for some months and the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) in Amazonas accuses Potássio do Brasil of co-opting indigenous people in an attempt to guarantee the potash business in the region. The agency also ordered the mining company to return an area of ​​indigenous land purchased by the people of the region. 

And, although it has not yet obtained a license from Ibama to expand the potash mining project, the company Potássio do Brasil sought a license from Ipaam (Amazon Environmental Protection Institute), the local environmental agency.

However, the MPF claims that the license, issued around the year 2015, is totally illegal and that approval for mining the resource in the region should only be carried out by Ibama. Thus, the project is still under development and, even if it does not expand, since the agency does not grant licensing, the company continues to threaten the existence of indigenous peoples. 

Ibama continues to exempt itself from the licensing process or suspension of the Potássio do Brasil project in the Amazon region 

Even with the whole scenario of constant threats to the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region, the licensing process or suspension of the company's potassium mining project does not happen due to Ibama's exemption in this case. Thus, the federal judge Jaiza Maria Fraxe, responsible for the public civil action, has already determined that Ibama be summoned to conduct the process, but has not yet obtained results. 

The body continues to exempt itself from the case and stated in an interview that a supplementary law from 2011 establishes that licensing is not within its competence when the enterprise is outside indigenous land. On the other hand, the Potássio do Brasil company aims to keep its benefits and claims to respect the territorial limits of indigenous peoples and that Ipaam is the competent body for licensing the project. 

Thus, the company states that “Potássio do Brasil acquired the assets in the Autazes region in a lawful and legitimate manner, without any intent or coercion, through a negotiation process involving the interested parties” and the scenario of security instability for indigenous peoples in the region continues to intensify.