2023-08-23 00:19:00
The State Attorney General’s Office (AGU) has issued a legal report that paves the way for the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to advance in studies and subsequent oil exploration in the Foz do Amazonas region. The report, requested by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, provides an additional argument to the Government by defending that the so-called Environmental Assessment of the Sedimentary Area (AAAS) is not essential and cannot stop the issuance of licenses for exploitation projects of fuels in the country.
The obligation of this evaluation was one of the points indicated by Ibama when rejecting Petrobras’ request to begin prospecting studies in the Foz do Amazonas region in May of this year. When asked by Sheet, Ibama affirmed that it has received the report from the AGU and “it will pronounce itself in a timely manner”. In a statement, the AGU argues that there are precedents in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), in recent decisions, that support the idea that environmental viability must be certified only in the license and not through studies of a strategic nature, such as the AAAS, which was presented by Ibama as an argument to reject the request to drill the so-called Block 59.
The Ministry of Jorge Messias has also submitted a request to open an administrative conciliation process between the entities involved in the matter. The issue will be discussed in the Chamber of Mediation and Conciliation of the Federal Public Administration (CCAF), a unit of the AGU and the CGU (Controlladoria-Geral da União, the equivalent of the General Intervention of the State Administration).
The final decision on drilling the Foz do Amazonas rests with Ibama, which is already analyzing a new request from Petrobras. However, the AGU report is expected to increase pressure on the environmental body.
Translated by AZAHARA MARTIN ORTEGA
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