Analysis of The Environmental Licensing of Mining for Civil Construction in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET/MG), Brazil

Abstract: Currently, due to the repeal of COPAM Normative Deliberation (DN) No. 74/2004, the regularization of mining activities for civil construction in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil is conducted through DN COPAM No. 217/2017. This regulation abolished the Environmental Operating Authorizations (AAF) and introduced the inclusion of locational criteria assessment in the screening phase of the environmental licensing process, aiming to consider the significance and sensitivity of environmental elements within the licensing modalities. Through analysis on the Environmental Licensing System (SLA) platform of the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development (SEMAD), of 14 projects encompassing mining activities for civil construction that had previously been regularized under the AAF, it was observed that 12 of these projects would necessitate further environmental documentation and studies. This includes the submission of the Environmental Control Report (RCA) and the Environmental Control Plan (PCA), in addition to specific studies addressing the identified locational criteria. The objective of the paper was to analyze the main changes in the screening phase of the environmental licensing processes for mining activities (small-scale and medium pollution potential) for civil construction, following the implementation of DN COPAM No. 217/2017 in Minas Gerais, Brazil.