August 6, 2021

09:08

Cassandra Castro – from Cenarium

BRASILIA (DF) – The director of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), Jônatas Souza Trindade, says there is no legal impediment to the holding of public hearings in order to expose the contents of the Environmental Impact Report (Rima) of the recovery works of the middle stretch of BR-319. The information is contained in the response sent on Thursday, 5, the letter of the General Prosecutor of the Republic, Rafael da Silva Rocha, in which the MPF listed 23 recommendations for the hearings were not held, claiming risk of coronavirus contagion.

In the statement, Jônatas kept the public hearings for September 21, 22, 24, and 26. The director of IBAMA clarified to the prosecutor that the environmental studies have already been made were available at the locations indicated by the Public Notice and that there is enough time for interested parties to become aware until the scheduled dates of the hearings, and there is no need for postponement.

The document sent by Ibama also clarifies other points and emphasizes that the agency has been following the vaccination advances in the region and informs that the health protocols of distance and hygiene will be followed during the public hearings.

About other difficulties imposed by the Public Ministry for the granting of environmental permits for the works of BR-319, Jônatas Souza Trindade clarified that it is common to carry out the federal environmental licensing of highways occur in sections, without this characterizing fractioning of the enterprise.

At the end of last month, Senator Plinio Valério (PSDB-AM) expressed his repudiation of the recommendations made by the MPF in relation to the process involving the repaving of this stretch of road. With the response of IBAMA, the parliamentarian said he hopes the prosecutor understands “once and for all, that all legal procedures are being strictly respected by IBAMA, Dnit and the Ministry of Infrastructure to meet the terms of the agreement signed for the dreamed recovery of BR-319”.

In social networks, the president of the BR-319 Friends Association, André Marsílio, posted a photo of a statement published last year in the Official Journal of the Union, in which Ibama made public the study for the repaving of the remaining 405 km of the highway, known as the “middle stretch”. “Justice is long in coming, but it doesn’t fail. They considered this BR, a BR that never existed and now we will be able to repave the 405 kilometers that are still missing”, said Marsílio.