Brazil’s environment agency IBAMA suspect of irregular vessels in the Port of Santos

Four ships awaiting docking at the Port of Santos are suspected of committing environmental irregularities and are monitored by Ibama. The environment agency is part of a task force led by the Federal Police to combat international drug trafficking and maritime pollution.

The inspections at the port in Santos began on Oct 4. After each round, the personnel meets to asses possible legal and fiscal crimes.

Inspections take place by air and by sea. A helicopter and boats were used in search of flagrant. In addition to the Federal Police and Ibama, Federal Revenue agents are involved.

According to federal environmental agent Ana Angélica Alabarce, on the 6th, the task force tried to catch hull cleaning in the anchorage area. “We were looking for ships with open holds throwing ballast water. We have marked the coordinates of these vessels and will inspect them on land,” explained Ana Angélica.

The data collected will be passed on to Santos Port Authority (SPA), the state-owned company that manages the Santos pier, and to the Federal Revenue Service. As soon as the freighters obtain authorization to dock at terminals in the maritime complex, they will be inspected.

“We will examine their documentation to determine how they dispose of their waste. They must provide evidence of how cleaning is done, as well as where and when it is done. We may also request that they show us the route they took and, based on speed and location, we may determine where the waste was discarded,” commented the Ibama official in charge of the region.

In addition, according to her, inspections will be carried out in the holds and external areas of ships. In this case, the objective is to see how solid waste is being stored, as well as how and where it should be discarded. “Our work will continue analyzing data from these ships,” said Ana Angélica.

The Federal Police did not provide further details about the operation.

Source: A Tribuna

To read the full original article, please go to: https://www.atribuna.com.br/noticias/portomar/ibama-suspeita-de-irregularidades-ambientais-em-quatro-navios-no-porto-de-santos

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