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Marina Silva spoke out in defense of the criteria followed by Ibama, without giving preference to requests from large groups, such as Petrobras.
Last Thursday (6), the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva (Rede), stated, in an official statement, that the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) has no influence on the granting of licenses for exploration activities. oil and natural gas. During the analysis of Petrobras' licensing request for the Foz do Amazonas Basin, Silva highlighted that the decision by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) must follow technical and legal criteria, without political interference.
Marina Silva's speech was released in a context of anticipation regarding Ibama's opinion regarding Petrobras' licensing request to drill an exploratory well in the Equatorial Margin region.
The minister reaffirmed that the environmental agency's analysis is exclusively technical in nature, with attention to all socio-environmental impacts involved. She also emphasized that the case is highly environmentally complex, requiring a detailed and thorough assessment.
Marina Silva talks about the role of Ibama and independence in environmental licensing
Marina Silva highlighted that it is Ibama's responsibility, according to Brazilian laws, to assess whether exploration projects comply with environmental requirements and the criteria established by legislation.
The minister reiterated that both the MMA and Ibama have well-defined functions. Neither agency has the authority to decide on the exploration of fossil fuels in Brazil. According to her, this decision is the responsibility of the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE), of which the MMA is a member, as are 16 other ministries.
“Therefore, Ibama or MMA do not have the authority to decide whether or not Brazil will explore fossil fuels in the mouth of the Amazon or in any other Brazilian sedimentary basin,” he stated.
Marina Silva also emphasized that, by following legal guidelines, the agencies neither make the licensing process difficult nor easy. On the other hand, they ensure that the provisions of the law are strictly complied with.
The history of Petrobras licensing in the mouth of the Amazon
The issue of environmental licensing for exploration in the Foz do Amazonas is not new. In 2018, during the government of Michel Temer, Ibama denied the first attempt to license a private company to operate in the region.
However, Petrobras, which had already faced this obstacle in the past, resubmitted its project to the environmental agency in 2023. In May of that year, Ibama again denied the license request. Petrobras chose to resubmit the proposal, complying with a series of requirements made by the agency.
One of these requirements was the construction of the Stabilization and Depetrolization Unit in Oiapoque (UED-OIA), started by Petrobras in December 2023. The construction of this unit is part of the measures requested by Ibama to guarantee the mitigation of environmental impacts in the region.
The expectation about licensing
The government, through the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira (PSD), recently stated that Petrobras has already complied with all the requirements set by Ibama. According to Silveira, the company is following the guidelines of the environmental agency, which could speed up the analysis of the licensing request.
However, Marina Silva stressed that, although the companies comply with the requirements, the final decision on issuing the license remains the exclusive responsibility of Ibama. The agency must act within the limits of the law.
The issue of oil and gas exploration in the Foz do Amazonas region has generated great debate, mainly because it is an environmentally sensitive area, with great biodiversity and ecological importance.
The decision on Petrobras' licensing could represent a milestone for the future of exploration activities in the region, but, for Marina Silva, the process should be conducted based on technical criteria and not political pressure.
With information Axes.
