Brazil approves a preliminary license for the construction of the mega-project Rio Madeira. After the denial of the license by the same agency and a lot of pressure from president Lula , the license moved forward and its now open for bidding. One of the interested parties and feasible bidders will be, as expected, Odebrecht SA and Camargo Correa SA, as reported by an IBAMA official.
Look at the following link and translation of the source Article:
Brazil gives preliminary OK to Amazon dams criticized by environmentalists
Enterprises along the Rio Madeira receive a Pre-License from IBAMA
Translated by Mattias Chesley with Bank Information Center
Today, IBAMA granted a pre-license for the project on the Madeira River. This signifies that the hydroelectric power plants of Santo Antônio and Jirau are environmentally viable and that the Federal Government can auction concession-of-use. After an exhaustive analysis by IBAMA that counted on the cooperation of engineers from the Ministry of the Environment and specialists of national and international reputation, who researched questions of sediment, fish and mercury, the license was approved with thirty-three conditions attached. Examples include the demolition of the cofferdams constructed during the workmanship, to facilitate the flow of sediments and fish larvae, and the institution of monitoring programs in order to allow sedimentation, the drift of eggs, larvae and fish, and the degradation of mercury. Others relate to socio-environmental impact mitigation.
Below is a copy of the license.
Ibama headquarters, Federal Public service
MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Brazilian Institute of the Environment and the Renewable Natural Resources
PREVIOUS LICENSE Nº 251/2007 The SUBSTITUTE PRESIDENT Of the BRAZILIAN INSTITUTE Of the Environment and the RENEWABLE NATURAL RESOURCES–
IBAMA, assigned for Port nº 97, of 02 of May of 2007, published in the Official Federal Gazette of 03 of May of 2007, in the use of the 24 attributions that confer it article Attached I to Decree 4,756, of 20 of June of 2003, that it approved the Regimental Structure of IBAMA, published in the D.O.U. of 23 of June of 2003, and article 8° of the Internal regulation approved by Portaria GM/MMA n° 230, of 14 of May of 2002, published in the D.O.U., of 21 of June of 2003, DECIDES: To forward the present Pre-License to: ENTREPRENEUR: FURNAS Centrais Elétricas S.A. CNPJ: 23.274.194/0001-19 ADDRESS: Real Street Largeness, 219 CEP: 22283-900 CITY: Rio De Janeiro UF: RIO DE JANEIRO TELEPHONE: (21) 2528-3112 FAX: (21) 2528-3813
REGISTER IN IBAMA: Process nº 02001.003771/2003-25 in relation to the Hydroelectric Exploration of Santo Antônio and Jirau, in the Madeira River, in the state of Rondônia, in the city of Porto Velho, with powers of 3.150 mW and 3.300 mW, and reservoir areas of 258 km2 and 271.3 km2, respectively. The workmanship is composed of two slide bars, two force houses, spillways and bulb turbines. This Pre-License is valid for the period of 02 (two) years from the present date, and its validity is conditional upon the fulfillment of the conditions stated in this document. These conditions must be adhered to or completed in the respective stated periods. This is also conditional based upon the attached articles that are integral parts of this document.
Brasilia, DF
BAZILEU ALVES MARGARIDO NETO
Substitute President of IBAMA
CONDITIONS OF VALIDITY of The PRE-LICENSE Nº 251/2007
1, General conditions:
1.1. The concession of this Pre-License will have to be published in compliance with the Resolution nº 006/86 of the National Board of the Environment - CONAMA, and copies of publications will have to be sent to IBAMA.
1.2. Any alterations in the project must be previously agreed upon by IBAMA.
1.3. The renewal of this Pre-License will be required to comply with Resolution CONAMA nº 237/97.
1.4. IBAMA, by means of a decision, will be able to modify the stipulations and measures of control and adequacy, or to suspend or cancel this license, in the case of:
· A breach or incompletion of any stipulations or rules of law;
· The omission or false description of important information upon which the expedition of the license was based;
· Serious environmental risks and health risks.
1.5. Before IBAMA, Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A. was the only responsible party for the implementation of the Plans, Programs and Mitigating Measures.
1.6. This license does not authorize the installation of the project.
2, Specific conditions
2.1. To detail the Plans, Programs, and Consigned Mitigating Measures, and Control in the Study of Environmental Impact and other technical documents.
2.2. To develop the project so as to optimize the outflow of sediments from the turbines and spillways and to optimize the drift of eggs, larvae and young schools of fish migrating. This will depend upon the demolition of cofferdams that come to be constructed during the project.
2.3. To establish, beginning 60 (sixty) days after the signature of the Contract of Concession-of-Use, the exploration, two-dimensional modeling, and monitoring of the process of sedimentation of the reservoirs, the outflow of sediments for the turbines and spillways, and the erosion of the ebb tide of the reservoirs. The plan of monitoring of transversal sessions is presented in the EIA, for barometric survey, since it is the sum of the Jirau reservoir and ebb tide of the barrage of Santo Antônio, which will include in its execution the compatible frequency data-collection with the intensity of the sedimentation process.
2.4. To establish, within 60 (sixty) days after the signature of the Contract of Concession-of-Use, the exploration and monitoring of the egg drift, larvae and young of the dourada, piramutaba, babão, tambaqui and pirapitinga with the purpose of evaluating its range, its distribution throughout the hydrologic cycle, and its mortality rate, aiming at the establishment of rules of operation that reduce the variation of the rate of mortality in relation to that observed in natural conditions. This monitoring will have to be carried through a minimum period of 3 (three) years, being that only the necessary results for the attendance of item 2.2 will have to be presented for the attainment of the License of Installation.
2.5. To develop a system of fish transportation, composed of two lateral canals to propitiate the ascent of the target species and to make difficult the ascent of species segregated in different stretches of the river, reproducing in the best form possible existing natural obstacles.
2.6. To create a center for the reproduction of regional fish, complementing the Program of Conservation of Regional Fish, in the case that fish mobility is harmed by the project and endemic species are harmed. The reproduction center will aim to protect genetic diversity based upon the current understanding of its ecology, and to consider efficient forms of preservation. In the case that complementary studies identify the existence of individuals of the above-mentioned species in other stretches of the river that will not be affected by the implantation of this project or in other rivers of the Amazonian basin, these will be part of the collection of the center.
2.7. To implement, within the period of 60 (sixty) days after the signature of the Contract of Concession-of-Use, the monitoring of the bio-disposability of mercury in Igarapés Mutum, Jaci-Paraná and Jatuarana, and in the region of the Teotônio Waterfall for evaluation of the methyl-mercury presence in the water column, in deep river sediment, in phytoplankton, the invertebrates and regional fish used in the diet of the populations, and in the aquatic and sub-aqueous mammals.
2.8. To implement, within the period of 60 (sixty) days after the signature of the Contract of Concession-of-Use, a monitoring-project epidemiologist for the communities next to the Teotônio Waterfall and narrow Jatuarana River. This epidemiologist will define the compatible presence within the white population and conduct an inquiry into the origin, cultural and alimentary time of residence, age, and habits of individuals, aiming to identify the routes of exposition to mercury. This monitoring that will begin after the signature of the Contract of Concession-of-Use is to complement the action of the proposals in the Program of Hydrobiogeochemical Monitoring.
2.9. To incorporate adequate removal and disposal in the Environmental Program for Construction in areas of probable mercury accumulation.
2.10. To extend, in the Program of Limnology Monitoring, the number of collection stations and samples in the vertical axle.
2.11. To establish, in the scope of the Program of Conservation of Fauna, the following sub-programs:
- of monitoring and control of the incidence of the rabies transmitted by bats, with training of the staff technician of the IDARON (Institute of Farming Defense of Rondônia), of the Secretariat of Health of the State and cities of the region on biology and handling of these species. Also offered by support technicians is orientation to the fishermen on the necessity of preventive vaccination of the flocks against the paralytic rabies.
- of monitoring and control of the increase of plagues of the Entomofauna, in particular fitofagas, virtue of the deforestation;
- of monitoring of ornitofauna in the area of campinarana to be affected, in special of the bird Poecilotriccus senex, aiming at the protection of these species; - of Population Viability of the Psitacídeos that they use the existing mires of feeding in the area of direct influence, including the mapping of other mires in the region;
2.12. To detail, in the Program of Rescue of Fauna, the methodology of capture, selection and release of the animals, as well as the planning of a selection center. Also, places of release of the rescued animals must be foreseen, with studies on the support capacity of those areas.
2.13. To monitor the populations of the tartaruga-da-amazônia (turtle) and jacaré-açu (alligator) and the other species determined in the surveys and inventories to be vulnerable to the impacts of the project, in the scope of the Subprogram of Monitoring for Reptiles and Alligators, within 60 (sixty) days after the signature of the Contract of Concession-of-Use. These actions will include, also, the development and implementation of projects for mitigating the loss of areas important to reptile reproduction, with research on the viability of artificial beaches for the transport and monitoring of nests to mitigate impact in the populations of reptiles.
2.14. To monitor the succession of fauna from the beginning of the project so as to complement the monitoring of the succession of vegetation along the edges of the reservoirs, in context with the surveys of entomofauna, avifauna, herpetofauna and mastofauna already implemented. The monitoring of the groups along the edges of the reservoirs will determine the intensity of the impact, the speed of recovery, and the necessity of handling;
2.15. To implant and maintain a herbarium (or the utilization / amplification of an existing herbarium) and a germoplasm bank, to assure that the species of the flora harmed by the implementation of the project are preserved;
2.16. To define in detail the sub-program of Monitoring of Terrestrial Mammals, considering different methodologies of capture and different types of vegetation.
2.17. To send collected specimens of mastofauna to museum collections, with the exception of threatened species difficult to transport.
2.18. To explain, in detail, the methodology for the removal and rescue of flora and fauna being integrated into the structures of the Program of Deforestation of the Areas of Direct Influence and the Program of Accompaniment of the Deforestation and Rescue of Fauna in areas Directly Affected, observing the following, basic lines of direction:
- The flooded, deforested of the area;
- The low loss of animals;
- The development of scientific and ecological research;
- The survey, removal, rescue and re-introduction of fauna and flora, with the collection of the species that are impossible to re-introduce;
- Social communication among centers of research;
- Implantation of typical species along the new edges;
- Creation of a germoplasm bank and a greenhouse;
- Determination and implantation of areas for the re-introduction of animals rescued in both of the edges of the reservoirs, minimizing the impacts on the fauna and the flora and making possible the survival of reintroduced specimens;
- Certification of the removed wood to make possible its use in the construction of the AHEs and to supply needed lumber;
- Use and adequate destination of the removed wood, generating financial resources to be applied in the socio-environmental projects of the region;
- Time management to make sure that the lines of direction listed above are established effectively.
2.19. To detail, in the Environmental Program for Construction, the populations of fauna in the highways that fragment forested environments.
2.20. To establish, in the Program of Use of the Surroundings, an Area of Permanent Preservation of, at the very least, five hundred meters (500 m) to guarantee natural ecological processes, and to prevent a deleterious effect along the edge, as per resolution CONAMA 302/02.
2.21. To consider, in the Program of Environmental Compensation, the degree of impact calculated by IBAMA, the protection of the vegetation, the conservation of ecosystems of regional importance, the connectivity of landscapes, and the implementation of ecological corridors where necessary, to facilitate the genetic flow of the fauna, as well as the dispersion of seeds.
2.22. To present a monitoring program for the impacts of the project on nutrients in the ports, on the animal and vegetal life in the Madeira River, in Igarapés and lakes tributaries, and the ebb tide of the enterprises;
2.23. To present programs and projects that link offers of public services with demand for public services, considering the population variation in the region of the implantation of the project. The programs and projects will have to be approved by the governments of Rondônia and Porto Velho.
2.24. To present measures to mitigate economic impacts of the project for non-owner families in the area of direct influence of the projects.
2.25. To consider, in the Program of Social Compensation, measures of support to the establishments of agrarian reform, agriculturists, and marginal communities in the area of influence of this project, aiming at the development of environmentally sustainable activities.
2.26. To present a Plan of Action for malaria control based upon technical direction from the Secretariat of Health Monitoring.
2.27. To consider in the Support Program to the Aboriginal Communities the recommendations presented by the Funai.
2.28. To support the initiatives for the revision of the Management Plan for Porto Velho, as is necessary to the enterprise.
2.29. To present support programs and projects for the protection of the local cultural patrimony that can directly or indirectly be impacted by this project.
2.30. To consider in the Program of Preservation of the Prehistoric and Historical Patrimony the recommendations presented by the IPHAN.
2.31. To adopt steps for the affected areas of the Madeira-Mamoré Railroad.
2.32. To present quarterly reports for all the monitoring programs in this license.
2.33. To present the Grant of Rights of Use of Water Resources established for the National Water Agency - ANA.