Semas holds public hearing focused on sustainable extraction of phosphate and kaolin
The event was held in accordance with the guidelines of the State Environmental Policy, ensuring public participation in the process
The State Secretariat for the Environment, Climate and Sustainability of Pará (Semas) held a public hearing last week in the municipality of Bonito as part of the environmental licensing process for the Bonito Project, by Viso Mineração Indústria e Comércio de Fertilizantes LTDA. The event addressed the phosphate and kaolin mining enterprise. The project stands out for producing a thermophosphate that does not require sulfuric acid, making it a more sustainable fertilizer.
The hearing was held in accordance with the guidelines of the State Environmental Policy, ensuring public participation in the process. At the meeting, representatives from Viso Mineração Indústria e Comércio de Fertilizantes LTDA presented the conception and details of the project, followed by the presentation of the results of the environmental and locational feasibility studies (EIA/Rima). After this initial moment, discussions were opened with mediation from Semas.
The director of Environmental Licensing, Marcelo Moreno, highlighted that "the Semas team, after inspections, understands this moment as extremely important for the completion of the project analysis, as the public hearing allows for the collection of information and perceptions from the Bonito community, based on the presentation of the executive project and environmental studies to the population, ensuring that they are informed and can contribute with oral and written manifestations. We concluded the hearing clearly and objectively, obtaining good feedback regarding the community's perception of the enterprise."
In the socioeconomic context, the project is justified by the generation of jobs, elevation of social capital, promotion of an inclusive environment, favorable prospects for the local and regional economy, and preference for services in the Pará territory.
Marcelo clarified that after the hearing, the process moves to the next stage, which is the closure of the technical opinion with the information gathered during the hearing and the forwarding of the licensing process to the State Environmental Council (Coema), which will deliberate on the environmental and locational viability of the project and the possibility of issuing the preliminary environmental license for the enterprise.
Actions for controlling and mitigating identified environmental impacts were proposed, aiming to restore balance in the physical, biotic, and socioeconomic conditions of the region. The integration of mitigation and compensation measures aims to ensure that the benefits of the project are widely perceived by society, promoting sustainable development.
Mariana Gomide, a geologist from CERN Consultoria, emphasized that "we prepared the environmental study here aimed at the licensing of the expansion of the Bonito Project, and it is a very important moment for the community, for the licensing environmental agency, where we discuss transparently. It is an opportunity for the community to participate in this licensing process and bring security to the technicians who are evaluating."
"The public hearing is of total importance for the municipality; I see it as an opportunity to undertake within my territory, it is very beneficial for the surrounding community, for the students who are graduating, and to preserve our population, encouraging agriculture, since the company works with soil fertility through fertilizers. It is a very important milestone; I am very grateful to have this enterprise close to us," concludes Sâmela Nunes, a resident of the municipality of Bonito.
Public hearing on sustainable manganese production
Semas held two public hearings on August 19 and 20 in the municipalities of Curionópolis and Marabá as part of the environmental licensing process for the Sereno Project, by the mining company Recursos Minerais do Brasil S.A (RMB). The event addressed the sustainable manganese production project, bringing benefits to the local population and taxes for the municipalities of Marabá and Curionópolis.
The Environmental Licensing Coordinator for Mining at Semas, Gerson Cardoso Paes, states that all contributions made during the public hearing will be taken into account during the licensing process of the Project. "The company committed to training the local workforce and absorbing it into the project, and participants requested support for road maintenance and for the company to purchase products produced by family farmers in the region," informs Gerson.
Text by Vinicius Silva/ Ascom Semas
