Environmental Military Police (PMA) of Mato Grosso do Sul Fines Company R$ 25,000 for Causing Ethanol Spill in Vegetation

The Spillage of Ethanol in the Regions Near the Municipality of Ivinhema, in Mato Grosso do Sul, Will Cause Severe Impacts on the Vegetation of the Area, As Analyzed. The PMA of the State Answered the Case and the Company Responsible for the Damages Will Have to Pay a Fine of R$ 25 Thousand.

An accident involving a fuel transport truck last Wednesday, (01/04), caused the spillage of more than 25,000 liters of ethanol along the BR-376, in the municipality of Ivinhema, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The Environmental Military Police (PMA) analyzed the case and imposed a fine of R$ 25 thousand on the company responsible for the damage to the vegetation in the region, which was severely affected by the oil spill.

Ethanol Spillage in Mato Grosso do Sul Caused Severe Impacts on the Vegetation. PMA Addressed the Case and Continues to Seek Minimization of Impacts

The year started with environmental problems caused by a fuel transporter in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

A bitrem truck transporting 59,000 liters of ethanol in the vicinity of Ivinhema had an accident, causing the spillage of more than 25,000 liters of fuel in the area.

The damage caused to the vegetation in the region was quite severe, mainly due to the rains in the area. As such, the vegetation will need to be completely removed for recovery and decontamination processes, according to the PMA of Mato Grosso do Sul.

According to the PMA, the ethanol flowed through the vegetation along the roadside, contaminating the soil and causing severe impacts to the area’s biome.

Thus, the lieutenant colonel of the Environmental Military Police (PMA), Ednilson Queiroz, stated that a company will assess the extent of the soil contamination.

Despite this, the effects of the ethanol spillage by the company are still incalculable, due to the spread of oil as a result of the rains in the area.

The PMA continues to operate in the region to minimize the impacts and ensure the preservation of vegetation, in addition to imposing a fine on the company responsible for the accident.

Company Responsible for the Oil Spillage Will Pay R$ 25 Thousand in Fine and May Face Criminal Charges for Pollution, With a Sentence of Up to 1 Year in Detention

According to the lieutenant colonel of the Environmental Military Police (PMA), Ednilson Queiroz, even with all the police actions in the area, the impacts may be irreversible.

He said: “Part of the vegetation will be removed, and the company will have to restore the entire area. With the rain, the spread of ethanol is even greater. Everything depends on the size of the area, and the company that will carry out the recovery will present that.”

The PMA that addressed the case recorded the crime through the notice of infraction and damage caused, thereby imposing a fine of R$ 25 thousand on the company responsible for the operation, which will have to pay for the damage to the region’s vegetation.

In addition to being notified to carry out the removal of contaminating material and the recovery of the degraded area, presenting the results to the police for a more detailed analysis of the incident in the region.

After inspecting the documents provided by the company, the PMA will forward all of them to the Public Ministry, which should proceed with the process of holding accountable for the damages caused to the area’s vegetation.

The responsible parties may also face charges for criminal negligence regarding pollution. The penalty is six months to one year of detention.

Now, the PMA continues to work to expedite the process, hold the responsible parties accountable, and ensure the minimization of damages in the area.