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In a scenario that challenges environmental legislation, the National Mining Agency (ANM) authorized the opening of 870 mines in 18 conservation units in Brazil, where mining is prohibited by law.
O jornal FSP revealed this Sunday (21) that these authorizations were granted despite the legal protection of these areas, creating a conflict between economic activity and environmental preservation.
The majority of these concessions are in Pará, with 846 mining sites, representing 97% of the total. Other affected states include Rondônia (11), Piauí (7), Bahia (3), Amazonas (2) and Rio Grande do Sul (1).
According to Folha de S.Paulo, mining in Pará is mainly concentrated in the Tapajós APA, an environmental protection area that covers two million hectares, of which 86% are in the municipality of Itaituba, known as the capital mining national.
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A long-standing problem
The survey showed that 14 of these authorizations were granted during the current government of Lula (PT), while the record number of concessions occurred in 1995, during the administration of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), with 272 authorizations.
The ANM justified that the legislation “does not prevent the granting of Mining Permits in conservation units, it only conditions the start of work to prior authorization from the managing body of the UC [Conservation Unit].”
Monitoring and inspection
ICMBio, responsible for managing conservation units, stated that it is aware of the situation and is closely monitoring the problem. “The body is working on the preparation of several technical documents to support such irregularities with the Specialized Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the Federal Public Ministry,” ICMBio said in a note.
Furthermore, the institute highlighted the carrying out of inspection actions in partnership with Ibama due to warnings of deforestation in the area.
The Lago do Cuniã Resex, in Rondônia, is the conservation unit with the highest percentage of area authorized for mining by the ANM. Of the reserve's 76,4 thousand hectares, 12,3% are destined for mining, directly affecting traditional populations that depend on extractivism, subsistence agriculture and small animal husbandry.
The role of municipal licenses
According to the newspaper cited, Garimpeiros have tried to circumvent environmental legislation by obtaining municipal licenses, but the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) has already recommended that these licenses not be recognized by ANM, ICMBio and Ibama.
The ANM responded that “it is not responsible for monitoring the issuance of environmental licenses issued by incompetent bodies”, but is reviewing its internal rules to ensure that mining is only released after the consent of the management body of the conservation unit.
Characters and controversies
José Antunes, known as Dr. José, is one of the main characters in this scenario. Linked to the Tapajós Gold Miners Association (Amot), Antunes has 161 authorizations for mining in the conservation unit, accumulating an area of 8.048 hectares for exploration.
According to Folha de S.Paulo, he is also involved in Federal Police investigations into schemes to “heat up” illegal gold. Another notable name is Francisco do Nascimento Moura, with 52 authorizations.
Moura was identified in investigations as a supplier of illegal gold extracted from the Itaituba region to DTVM Ourominas, the target of inspection operations between 2015 and 2018. Moura gave contradictory statements to the Federal Police, further complicating the situation.
Environmental and social impacts of mining
The impact of these mines on conservation units is devastating, say experts. The Tapajós APA, for example, is the most deforested federal conservation unit in Brazil since 2022, with around 50% of deforestation attributed to mining.
ICMBio and Ibama say they are drafting a cooperation agreement with ANM for sharing data and access to systems, seeking to improve supervision and combat irregularities.
In a statement, Ourominas denied any irregularities and stated that it would collaborate with the courts in the investigations. The situation of mining in conservation units continues to generate controversies and raise questions about the effectiveness of environmental preservation policies in Brazil.
Do you think that authorizing mining in conservation areas is justifiable in any case? Comment your opinion!
So the name is wrong, if it is a preservation area, how can it be degraded by mining? Where is the preservation?
Imagine if it were Bolsonaro releasing this mafia…
Who controls these boys?
The PT can do anything, where are the environmentalists?
It's Bolsonaro's fault! 🤔
Let the people work, you outsiders don't know the reality of our people.