The mining company Gute Sicht, which operates in Serra do Curral, one of the postcards of Belo Horizonte, accumulates R$ 6.5 million in environmental fines for irregular operation.
The penalties were applied by the city hall because the company continued to extract iron ore in the region even after being interdicted by the municipality, on May 20 of this year. When contacted, the mining company did not respond.
Since then, 90 notices have been issued, including one notification, one notice of interdiction, one of environmental degradation and 87 of non-compliance with the ban. The last penalty imposed by the Fuad Noman (PSD) management was on 21 September.
The ban took place because, according to the city hall, the mining company was exploring an area under municipal environmental protection.
According to the administration, every time the inspectors went to the company in which the maintenance of the ore exploration was confirmed, a fine was issued.
Gute Sicht continued to operate in Serra do Curral under a TAC (Term of Conduct Adjustment) signed with the Secretary of State for the Environment in 2021.
According to the folder, the term temporarily regulated the operation of the mining company. The secretariat also says that the agreement between the state and Gute Sicht is supported by mining legislation.
On September 29, however, the state itself also banned the company, after inspection. “Possible irregularities were verified in the mining company’s operation, which suppressed an area of vegetation that was not agreed within the TAC”, says the secretary.
There is no information, by the government of Romeu Zema (Novo), if the suppressed area is the same identified by the city hall or if it refers to another part of Serra do Curral.
The report got in touch with two lawyers who are involved in lawsuits in the Minas Gerais Court as representatives of Gute Sicht.
One stated that he works for the company only in the tax area. The other did not return contact. The phones that appear on the company’s website are not answered.
Emails sent to addresses that are also on the Gute Sicht website are not responded to. Messages were sent throughout the month of October.
Serra do Curral has its north face facing the south of Belo Horizonte, but it is also part of two other neighboring municipalities of the capital: Sabará and Nova Lima.
The area is rich in plant and animal species and in iron ore. There is still a historical question, due to the fact that the capital grew at its feet.
Part of Serra do Curral is already under protection due to the creation of reserves such as Mangabeiras Park and Serra do Curral Park.
However, there are still areas without this protection, which end up becoming a target for mining companies.
On April 30 this year, for example, Copam (Minas Gerais State Environmental Policy Council) authorized another mining company, Thames, to explore an area in Serra do Curral.
The decision provoked a strong reaction from environmentalists, who defend the complete tipping of the mountain, something discussed in the state since 2018.
After a legal back-and-forth, the Minas Gerais Court of Justice banned mining in the area authorized by Copam for the Thames, a decision that has not yet been reviewed.
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