DEAMB - Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental
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Item Weak participation and ideological exemption : the latest stage of EIA simplification in Brazil?(2023) Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroDevelopers’ concerns over the costs and delays of environmental impact assessment (EIA) have increasingly been driving ‘simplification’ solutions and reforms. This letter critically reviews the evolution of EIA simplification in Brazil. More specifically, it (1) sets out to describe the main stages of EIA simplification in Brazil, and (2) calls for conceptually clear and evidence-based simplification reforms. I argue that the first simplification efforts in Brazil mirrored an attempt to bring procedural proportionality to EIA. But simplification gradually became a more nuanced phenomenon reflecting a variety of streamlining, digitalization, and decentralization strategies. However, the many simplification efforts do not seem to be affecting developers’ predominant perception about EIA ineffectiveness. Brazil may be witnessing a more radical stage of EIA simplification, in which ‘simplicity’ is pursued through weak public participation and the exemption of specific economic sectors of the Brazilian economy from EIA. Without conceptually clear and evidence-based simplification reforms, debates over EIA effectiveness are likely to be influenced by simplistic win-win narratives, and Brazil’s increasingly fragile environment is likely to get worse.Item Ferronickel slag as free‐draining rockfll dike material : a novel waste solution for mining regions.(2022) Costa, João Paulo Rodrigues da; Gomes, Guilherme José Cunha; Fernandes, Gilberto; Magarinos, Dario Mozzer; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas Castro; Pires, Patrício José MoreiraMining sites are vulnerable to erosion and siltation of rivers. While the construction of rockfill dikes can mitigate siltation, existing rockfill dikes are typically constructed with natural aggregates, whose mining, beneficiation, and transportation entail additional adverse impacts. In this paper, ferronickel slag (FNS) was investigated as a free-draining rockfill dike material to be used in nearby mining sites. A series of laboratory tests, including physical, environmental, durability, chemical and mineralogical analyzes, was executed to evaluate the engineering characteristics of this byproduct and its potential use in dikes. Results demonstrate that FNS is non-uniform with relatively low Los Angeles abrasion. Leaching and dissolution tests have not shown harm to the environment since the average concentrations of chemical elements existing in FNS were below the standard requirements. Accelerated weathering cycling tests with ethylene glycol further highlighted that the byproduct does not suffer premature disaggregation in the presence of water, thereby revealing that the material can be employed adequately under saturated condition. Findings suggest that the use of FNS in rockfill dikes represents a technically and environmentally feasible solution, while reducing the use of natural aggregates, avoiding the formation of stockpiles, preventing siltation in downstream fluvial networks and other adverse impacts.Item Viewpoint : the far-reaching dangers of rolling back environmental licensing and impact assessment legislation in Brazil.(2022) Athayde, Simone; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas Castro; Araújo, Suely Mara Vaz Guimarães de; Gallardo, Amarilis Lucia Casteli Figueiredo; Moretto, Evandro Mateus; Sánchez, Luis EnriqueIn the context of compounding health, environmental, and climatic crises, Brazil may witness two of its most important environmental policy instruments, environmental licensing and impact assessment, be severely weakened. On May 13, 2021, the Chamber of Deputies passed a new General Law of Environmental Licensing, ignoring the concerns of civil society, scientists, and other relevant parties. If approved by the Senate and ratified by President Bolsonaro, this law will further undermine Brazil’s increasingly fragile environmental protection and public participation in decision-making. Here, we review the bill’s main provisions, highlighting potential far-reaching implications for environmental protection and governance, public participation in decision-making, and human rights in Brazil and beyond. Scientists can play an important role in debunking misinformation and advising Senators and the public opinion on the bill’s dangerous effects.Item Why are projects rarely rejected in environmental impact assessments? : narratives of justifiability in Brazilian and Canadian review reports.(2021) Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas Castro; Gibson, Robert B.Projects that undergo environmental impact assessment (EIA) are rarely rejected. Online registries and anecdotal evidence suggest that authorities approve almost all proposed and assessed projects, though often with mitigation requirements. The objective of this study was: 1) to identify the rules or criteria that reviewers and authorities must observe when considering the acceptance or rejection of projects; and 2) to understand how rare cases of rejection decisions are justified by reviewers. Data were collected through literature and regulatory reviews, and content analysis of review reports related to five Canadian and seven Brazilian rejected projects. Reviewers from Canada and Brazil adopted similar approaches to decision-making based on qualitative reasoning. Rejection recommendations were based on reasons, such as significance of biophysical impacts, sensitivity of locations and community values. The influence of reviewers’ recommendations on final decisions remains unknown. The study highlights practical implications and calls for greater transparency and rigor in EIA decision-making.Item To what extent are threatened plant species considered in impact assessment decision-making? : insights from southeastern Brazil.(2021) Pimenta, Mariana Antunes; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroThe world’s declining plant biodiversity depends on the efficacy of many policy tools, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). While scholars have long been trying to understand how biodiversity information affects EIA decision-making, very few studies have addressed the specific challenges associated with threatened plant species. Based on content analysis of 83 EIA processes that proposed vegetation removals in the south- eastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, this study evaluated the extent to which threatened plant species were considered in decision-making. The study found that the developers of 31 projects (37% of the 83 analyzed EIA projects) disclosed the occurrence of threatened plant species in the potentially affected areas. The detailed content analysis of their respective Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) review reports revealed that the majority of the identified impacts and respective compensation programs targeted tree habits, and under a va- riety of rationales. Developers’ proposed compensation rates of impacted tree species varied from 1:1 to 50:1. The reviewing process reported issues related mostly to the baseline conditions. Overall, the study found that EIA, in Minas Gerais state, has been functioning mainly as a diagnostic and compensation tool for the removal of tree species. The study calls for improvements in existing legislation and the development of technical guidance and capacity-building programs for EIA stakeholders.Item Aperfeiçoamentos reativos de políticas ambientais : lições dos desastres de Mariana e Brumadinho.(2021) Braga, Michelle Cristina dos Reis; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroO Estado nem sempre é capaz de aperfeiçoar políticas ambientais de maneira proativa. Eventualmente, melhorias políticas se dão em reação a desastres, que expõem, contundentemente, problemas preexistentes. Essa situação está refletida no estado de Minas Gerais (Brasil) onde, após as rupturas das barragens de rejeito de Fundão, em Mariana, e B1, em Brumadinho, ficaram expostas lacunas nas políticas de segurança de barragens. Este estudo teve dois objetivos: 1) identificar os mecanismos utilizados pelo governo de Minas Gerais para aperfeiçoar políticas ambientais; e 2) entender como os desastres de Mariana e Brumadinho afetaram as políticas de segurança de barragens. Baseado em entrevistas semiestruturadas e análises regulatórias, o estudo revelou que o Estado tem sido predominantemente reativo no controle de políticas ambientais. Adicionalmente, foi observado que os desastres ocorridos catalisaram um processo de aprendizagem que culminou em políticas de barragens potencialmente melhores.Item To what extent are threatened plant species considered in impact assessment decision-making? : insights from southeastern Brazil.(2021) Pimenta, Mariana Antunes; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroThe world’s declining plant biodiversity depends on the efficacy of many policy tools, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). While scholars have long been trying to understand how biodiversity information affects EIA decision-making, very few studies have addressed the specific challenges associated with threatened plant species. Based on content analysis of 83 EIA processes that proposed vegetation removals in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, this study evaluated the extent to which threatened plant species were considered in decision-making. The study found that the developers of 31 projects (37% of the 83 analyzed EIA projects) disclosed the occurrence of threatened plant species in the potentially affected areas. The detailed content analysis of their respective Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) review reports revealed that the majority of the identified impacts and respective compensation programs targeted tree habits, and under a variety of rationales. Developers’ proposed compensation rates of impacted tree species varied from 1:1 to 50:1. The reviewing process reported issues related mostly to the baseline conditions. Overall, the study found that EIA, in Minas Gerais state, has been functioning mainly as a diagnostic and compensation tool for the removal of tree species. The study calls for improvements in existing legislation and the development of technical guidance and capacity-building programs for EIA stakeholders.Item A sustainability-oriented framework for the application of industrial byproducts to the base layers of low-volume roads.(2021) Gomes, Guilherme José Cunha; Magalhães, Adair José de; Rocha, Fabiano Lucindo Lima da; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroRoadway engineering works typically rely on the utilization of natural aggregates as building materials. However, growing pressures for sustainable roads are highlighting the importance of replacing virgin materials with industrial byproducts. Constructors worldwide are trying to select optimum soilbyproduct mixtures that have a fair trade-off between engineering properties, environmental impacts and material costs. This requires a multi-objective analysis to explore feasible mixtures that honor a set of preferences to mathematically identify the best compromised soil-byproduct mixture. In this paper, a sustainability-oriented framework is proposed for selecting optimum soil-byproduct proportions for unbound base layers of unpaved roads. A compromise programming tool is implemented to select a mixture that is statistically preferred over mixtures with different byproduct contents. The method is illustrated using technical, economic and environmental indicators that are easily measurable. Investigations are performed for different decision-making perspectives including the constructor’s, contractor’s and the environment’s viewpoints. Two byproducts from the steel industry are mixed in different proportions from 50% to 80% by weight with a clayey soil. The optimum mixture was obtained at a proportion of 70% byproduct and 30% clay. Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analysis of transport scenarios further supported this conclusion. Results demonstrate that mixture selection based only on strength properties provides inadequate optimum from a sustainable standpoint. The proposed framework can help road constructors incorporate environmentally-friendly materials in a cost-effective way, while maintaining the technical quality of base layers.Item Transparency of materiality analysis in GRI-based sustainability reports.(2020) Machado, Bianca Alves Almeida; Dias, Lívia Cristina Pinto; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroWhile materiality analysis is often regarded as essential to sustainability reporting, there is a shortage of empirical studies about its transparency in published reports. This study had a three-fold objective: (a) identify stakeholders and respective techniques of engagement in the materiality analysis; (b) quantify disclosures of materiality-related indicators; and (c) explore the influence of assurance, standard, and headquarters' location in the transparency of materiality analysis. Based on a quantitative content analysis of 140 GRI-based sustainability reports, this study found that, overall, organizations did not disclose comprehensive and detailed information about their approaches to identifying material topics. About 22% of the evaluated indicators were not fully disclosed in the sample. Non-parametric tests suggested that third-party assurance, type of GRI standard, and location of headquarters are unlikely to affect the rates of transparency. The study calls for further standardization and methodological development of materiality analysis in sustainability reporting.Item Compensating deforestation with forest surplus : key regulatory issues within Brazil's atlantic forest.(2020) Cruz, Júlio César da; Barella, Cesar Falcão; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroBrazil has created a market mechanism for compensating past deforestation based on the acquisition of forest surplus from different properties. This mechanism, known in Brazil as the ‘CRA market’, could become the world's largest forest compensation program. The success of this market depends on the specifics of regulations that are yet to come. The objective of this article was to explore three relevant issues to the regulation of a future CRA market within the Atlantic Forest of Minas Gerais state: the balance between supply and demand; incentives for trade in priority areas; and potential policy overlaps between different compensation programs. Based on geospatial evaluations and content analysis of government documents, the study revealed a potential oversupply of CRAs in the Minas Gerais Atlantic Forest, as surplus areas were found to be 2.76 greater than deficit areas. Eventual incentives for trade in priority areas could lessen oversupply, but unfold into sensitive territorial tradeoffs. The potential overlap between the CRA market and the existing compensation program of the Atlantic Forest Act, while still unclear, is unlikely to be a very relevant one. Future avenues of research are suggested