Environmentalists want to end decree that permits acid storage terminal creation in Alagoas

After decisions of environmental agencies that render the installation of the sulfuric acid deposit in Maceió unfeasible, environmentalists and urbanists in Alagoas are now mobilizing to sensitize the federal government and urge a revision of the 2020 decree that permits the storage of this product in the state capital’s ports. Specialists are united in their mission to present arguments to ensure the definitive revocation of the decision, eliminating the possibility of installing the acid storage unit in the city for good.

Urban planner Dilson Ferreira stated there is a movement to dialogue with the Alagoas representatives in Congress. They propose convincing federal deputies and senators that the presidential decree should be reconsidered, considering the capital’s unique characteristics. “We have a port located in an urban area. The city’s Master Plan stipulates that this type of installation should not be allowed near the city. We will approach the representatives with a suggestion to revoke, at the very least, the section that designates the Port of Maceió as a favorable zone for sulfuric acid storage,” he explained. Federal Decree No. 10,330, issued on April 28, 2020, designated the MAC10 terminal for handling and storing liquid bulk, primarily sulfuric acid, as part of the Investment Partnerships Program of the Presidency of the Republic.

With this authorization, TIMAC Agro Indústria e Comércio de Fertilizantes LTDA. began negotiations to establish a facility of this kind at the Port of Maceió, requesting land occupation certificates and, subsequently, the required environmental licenses.

In September of last year, the former Municipal Secretariat for Territorial Development and the Environment (Sedet) issued a resolution allowing TIMAC to occupy the land, but it was revoked last week. The Institute of the Environment (IMA) rejected the environmental license for installation. One of the prerequisites for the license was the certificate of land use and occupation from the city hall. Without it, the process cannot be completed.

For example, Article 500 of the Urban Code of Maceió clearly states that “any establishment that stores or processes chemical, toxic, flammable, and/or explosive products, or that has the potential to cause environmental pollution, must be at least 500 meters away from the urban perimeter of the municipality.” Dilson Ferreira emphasized, “We expected the IMA’s negative decision, considering that the city hall revoked the land use and occupation assignment for TIMAC. We are defending the city, and a risk assessment is necessary for each company’s installation. The fact that the company has authorization to be in the port does not guarantee that it will settle here. Various analyses will be taken into account.”

Source: Gazeta de Alagoas

To read the original news report, please visit: https://d.gazetadealagoas.com.br/politica/406747/ambientalistas-querem-revogacao-de-decreto-que-libera-acido-no-porto

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