Alcohubre amendment can release oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon

Senate President David Alcolumbre (Union-AC) presented an amendment to the General Environmental Licensing Act, in Congress, which may grant a single phase for projects considered strategic, in accordance with the deliberation of a government council. Amendment is a mechanism that parliamentarians have to adjust or modify a legislative proposal.

The change in alcohumbre can expedite the release, for example, of oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River. The license in question divides part of the government, as Minister Marina Silva stated to be against exploitation. Ibama also gave the opposite opinion, but last week approved the concept of the Plan of Protection and Service to the Oleada Fauna (PPAF), presented by Petrobras as part of the plan for maritime research activity in the mouth of Amazonas.

Another project that could be released is the recovery work of BR-319, which connects Porto Velho to Manaus, passing in the Amazon rainforest. Environmentalists warn of the destruction of the forest if the work happens. The General Environmental Licensing Law should begin to be voted on Wednesday.

According to the text presented by Alcolumbre, “slow process analysis stems from a number of factors, such as overlapping competences between different bodies, interruptions caused by court decisions, scarcity of qualified technical personnel and the complexity of the procedure itself, which usually requires three distinct licenses over time. This reality has transformed licensing into one of the main difficulties for attracting structuring investments in Brazil.”

“The proposal aims to institute a differentiated procedure of environmental licensing, based on the principles of efficiency, economy, speed and sustainability, directed exclusively to works, services or activities recognized by the federal executive branch as essential to national development,” according to the amendment presented by Senator Alcolumbre.

Senators defended and praised the alcohumbre proposal during the polling station session.

Already environmentalists criticize flexibility. According to the Climate Observatory, “the special license will disrupt the entire environmental licensing process by subjecting the pressure analysis system and purely political interests, including detriment to entrepreneurs who have filed a licensing request before.”

According to the Observatory, if the amendment is approved, “the analyzes are at the mercy of political wills and harm those in line to have their processes analyzed. Still, weakens Sisnama, while the Council of Government will dictate the formulation of national policy and government guidelines for the environment and environmental resources.”