In an interview with CNN, this Friday (01), the governor of Alagoas, Paulo Dantas (MDB) harshly criticized the operations of the Braskem petrochemical company in the Lagoa Mundaú region, in the Mutange neighborhood, in Maceió, where a mine caused the emptying and closing off the surrounding area due to risk of collapse.
“What has been happening here since 2018 is not a disaster, it is an environmental crime that caused a lot of damage”, accuses the governor. According to him, over the last few years, schools and hospitals have been closed, residents and businesses have had to leave their properties and that the potential risk of collapse would have impacted 100,000 people.
As a measure, the state took legal action against the company, notified the market at least three times and requested support from the National Congress, the Federal Audit Court and the Federal Government since Petrobrás is one of the company’s main shareholders.
Upon being informed by the State Civil Defense of the high risk of mine collapse, the state government created a crisis office with the support of the federal government and the participation of the affected city halls. As a priority, the area was evacuated, houses and businesses closed.
The governor also said that Braskem did not respect the criteria for exploring the site and that he took legal action so that the victims could be included in the negotiations. “They made an agreement in isolation, excluding the residents, neighboring cities and the state”. With the legal action, according to the governor, cities in the metropolitan region can demand compensation from the company.
Next week, the governor should meet with acting president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), to discuss actions in the region. “Our expectation is to join forces and find an alternative to resolve this environmental crime once and for all.”
Imminent risk of collapse
Maceió Civil Defense stated this Friday (1st) that the area around Braskem mine 18, which is at imminent risk of collapse, is sinking at a speed of 2.6 centimeters per hour.
In a statement, the agency reported that it was on “maximum alert” and that the accumulated vertical displacement in the mine area was 1.42 meters.
Earlier, Mayor João Henrique Caldas, JHC (PL), told CNN that, at times, the sinking reached 5 centimeters per hour.
According to a statement from Civil Defense, the recommendation is that the population does not travel in the unoccupied area until further guidance, while control and monitoring measures are applied to reduce the danger.
The Civil Defense analysis team emphasizes that this information is based on continuous data, including seismic analyses. The body reiterates its recommendation to avoid the unoccupied area of the former CSA field for security reasons.
What the company says
In a note released this Friday, Braskem says that it “continues to be mobilized and monitoring the situation at mine 18” and “taking all appropriate measures to minimize the impact of possible occurrences”.
“Current monitoring data demonstrates that soil accommodation remains concentrated in the area of this mine and that this accommodation could develop in two ways: one scenario is gradual accommodation until stabilization; the second is a possible abrupt accommodation”, adds the company.
The company also says that “Braskem’s service area near mine 18 has been isolated since Tuesday afternoon. Furthermore, the region where said mine is located (protection area) has been completely unoccupied since 2020.”
Braskem adds that “rock salt extraction in Maceió was completely closed in May 2019, and Braskem has been adopting measures to definitively close the salt wells, according to the plan presented to the authorities and approved by the National Mining Agency ( ANM). This plan records 70% progress in the actions, and the work is scheduled to be completed by mid-2025.”
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Source: CNN Brasil
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