The Monitoring Committee (CA) of the Conduct Adjustment Commitment Term (TAC) of Hydro, in Pará, held its 31st meeting, on July 25th. The agenda addressed updating information on the investment of TAC resources for the implementation of alternative treatment systems and collective distribution of drinking water, item 2.1.4; and a general update of the panorama of completed and ongoing commitments.

At the meeting, Public Prosecutor Maria Olívia Pessoni Junqueira announced her departure from the case and appointed as her replacement and new person in charge, Public Prosecutor Adriano Lanna de Oliveira, from the Environmental Center of the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), in Pará.

Investment in water – Item 2.1.4 of the TAC designates the investment of R$5 million in the creation and implementation of alternative systems for the treatment and collective distribution of drinking water or another viable technical solution. This topic has been discussed since the 4th meeting of the Monitoring Committee and received several contributions from members of the CA, the TAC Technical Committee and other experts appointed by the signatory parties.

Participating as guests for this agenda, in the July 25th meeting, were Hydro's senior manager of Socio-Environmental Programs, Higia Brandão, and environmental engineer Frederico Fenerich, as well as Barcarena City Hall and the water and sewage concessionaire Águas de São Francisco and representatives of civil society.

In the presentation, they announced the update of the water supply network expansion project, an adjustment for the amount of R$8 million to be invested and a cooperation agreement to regulate implementation, which must be signed by the signatories of the TAC, Águas of São Francisco, Barcarena City Hall and the municipality’s Public Services Regulatory Agency.

However, Public Prosecutor Maria Olívia Junqueira argued that the information presented was different from what had been discussed between the Federal Public Ministry, Águas de São Francisco and Barcarena City Hall.

Participating as guests for this agenda, in the July 25th meeting, were Hydro's senior manager of Socio-Environmental Programs, Higia Brandão, and environmental engineer Frederico Fenerich, as well as Barcarena City Hall and the water and sewage concessionaire Águas de São Francisco and representatives of civil society.

In the presentation, they announced the update of the water supply network expansion project, an adjustment for the amount of R$8 million to be invested and a cooperation agreement to regulate implementation, which must be signed by the signatories of the TAC, Águas of São Francisco, Barcarena City Hall and the municipality’s Public Services Regulatory Agency.

However, Public Prosecutor Maria Olívia Junqueira argued that the information presented was different from what had been discussed between the Federal Public Ministry, Águas de São Francisco and Barcarena City Hall.

Other TAC commitments – Also on the agenda of the meeting was an update on the overview of TAC's planned audits and studies, as well as the progress of the implementation of environmental monitoring infrastructure.

In the presentation, it was highlighted that selection processes are underway to hire companies that will carry out the socioeconomic and ethnographic study (item 2.1.1.A of the TAC), the epidemiological assessment (2.1.1.C) and the environmental studies ( 2.1.1.BDEF).

“We understand that in the cases of these audits, both we here, representatives of civil society, and other people in the communities, are waiting for answers and we are frustrated with the delay. But this is a process that needs a lot of attention, it needs to be looked at very carefully, studied, researched, so that things don’t go out of the norm”, pondered Elidiane Cardim, holder of representation 6.

Alunorte's representative on the Monitoring Committee, Edson Maciel, presented an overview of the implementation, highlighting that of the 37 items in the TAC, 20 are completed and 15 are in progress. Among those currently underway, 4 are public monitoring projects and 8 involve audits and independent studies.

The monitoring projects consist of the implementation of evaluation systems for surface and underground waters (item 2.1.6 of the TAC), beach bathability (2.1.7), air quality (2.1.8) and also a telemetric system for assessment of beach waters (2.1.9).

Maciel clarified that the projects were discussed and approved by the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainability of Pará (Semas) and universities in the region. As determined by the TAC, the implementation will be paid for by Alunorte and the equipment will be donated to the State University of Pará (UEPA) and the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará (IFPA), which will be responsible for operationalizing and financing the structures. upon receipt.

Members of the CA representing civil society suggested training so that civil society understands the parameters that monitoring can point to. “The more people have information about the correct process, so that there are not, suddenly, non-compliances when comparing the reports that companies issue and those issued by a supervisory body, for example”, argued Fabiano Azevedo, substitute for representation 4.

Next meeting – The 32nd meeting of the Monitoring Committee will be held on September 26th, the main agenda of which will be the execution of appeals against fines that were applied to the State Environment Fund (FEMA), from clause six of the TAC.

Contact – In case of doubts, the executive secretariat of the Monitoring Committee has a communication channel available via call or message at (91) 99349-0098.

Members of the Monitoring Committee present at the 31st meeting:

• Maria Olívia Pessoni Junqueira – Federal Public Ministry (MPF) – alternate

• José Edson Maciel – Alunorte Alumina do Norte do Brasil S/A – holder

• Eduardo Bustamante – Norsk Hydro Brasil – holder

• Vera Lúcia Brito Nascimento – Civil society representative – Region 1 – Quilombola and Traditional Communities – alternate

• Jackeline Sales – Civil society representative – Region 2 – holder

• Fátima Solange Oliveira Góes – Civil Society Representative – Region 4 – holder

• Fabiano Azevedo – Civil society representative – Region 4 – alternate

• Amauri Figueiredo – Civil society representative – Region 5 – alternate

• Elidiane Cardim – Civil society representative – Region 6 – holder

• Cristiane Simões Baia – Civil Society Representative – Region 6 – Substitute

• Rosa Maria Dias da Silva – Civil Society Representative – Region 7 – holder

• Ivo Torres – Civil society representative – Region 8 – alternate

• Maria das Graças Figueira Pereira – Civil Society Representative – Region 9 – holder

• Hamilton José Moreira Caminha – Civil Society Representative – Region 9 – alternate

Hydro Alunorte guests:

• Higia Brandão – Senior Manager of Social and Environmental Programs

• Frederico Delphino Fenerich – Environmental Engineer

 

Guests of the Águas de São Francisco Concessionaire

• Lucas Firmino Pereira

• Diego Rafael Dal Magro

 

Guest of Barcarena City Hall

• José Quintino de Castro Leão Júnior – Attorney General of the Municipality of Barcarena

 

Guests at the Federal Public Ministry:

• Public Prosecutor Felipe Moura Palha

• Public Prosecutor Adriano Augusto Lanna de Oliveira

 

Team of the Executive Secretariat of the International Education Institute of Brazil (IEB):

• Edane França Acioli – Socio-environmental analyst

• Paulo Pantoja – Technical Assistant

• Raphael Castro – Communications Advisor

• Vanessa Silva – Technical Assistant

Source: Executive Secretariat of the TAC Monitoring Committee