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dam-l Fraud Charged in studies for Araguaia-Tocantins hidrovia
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Environmental Study is Suspect
Source: Jornal do Brasil (Rio de Janeiro) by Rubens Valente, 22 August, 1999
A group of anthropologists in São Paulo are denouncing what they call
"intellectual fraud" in the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) that the
federal government contracted to free up the implantation of the
Araguaia-Tocantins industrial waterway, or hidrovia. It is the most
controversial project of the Transportation Ministry, which plans
alterations at 87 points along the Araguaia, Tocantins, and das Mortes
rivers. For the first time, now officially in the EIA, explosions of rock
outcroppings using dynamite are confirmed as well as large-scale dredging
that could cause erosion, flooding, and hydrological alterations in the
region, in an ecological sanctuary where 15 indigenous ethnic groups live,
along with fisherfolk, riverbank dwellers, and animals threatened with
extinction such as the pink dolphin, spotted jaguar, giant river otter, and
others.
Crossing 2,102 km and five states, ten protected areas - including the
world's largest river island, the Ilha do Bananal - and 35 indigenous
reserves, directly affecting 11% of Brazilian national territory, the
hidrovia is an ambitious project that is part of the federal government's
Brazil in Action plan. $124 million will be spent in the first stage, and
$110 million in a second phase which plans an artificial canal of 60 km. to
bypass the rapids of Santa Isabel, on the Araguaia River, Pará state.
Anthropologists charge bad faith
The anthropologists were contracted by the constructor of the project,
Ahitar (the Araguaia-Tocantins Hidrovia Administration), linked to the
Transportation Ministry, to carry out a study of the project's impacts on
15 indigenous groups. The original study was altered "in bad faith and in
an unscrupulous manner" according to anthropologist André Amaral Toral.
The original study by the anthropologists was comprised of three volumes
and has conclusions which may be understood to be a condemnation of the
project. Anticipating possible "edits" of the material, the anthropologists
took the cautionary step of filing an official copy with the Federal
Attorney General's office in Brasília, besides delivering another to the
Xavante Indians of the Das Mortes River region, who are a group which would
be directly affected by the project. The Xavante were so angry that they
did not think twice to burn 30 sign posts placed on the das Mortes, and to
take a cargo barge passing on the river without authorization hostage.
One week ago, Ibama made the official version of the study public. The
discrepancy between the official study and that filed at the Attorney
General's office was discovered by people who have been following the
situation for some time, such as environmentalist Maurício Galinkin, of
Cebrac (Central Brazilian Reference and Cultural Support Foundation), of
Brasília, and lawyers from the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) in São
Paulo, Sérgio Leitão and Fernando Baptista.
According to Eduardo Carrara, (anthropologist at the University of São
Paulo who participated in the study), "We had predicted an increase in
deaths among the Indians, caused by pollution and fish kills, which were
predicted in other parts of the study."
The Report was modified
The EIA for the Hidrovia was condensed, according to the superintendent of
Ahitar (the Hidrovia Tocantins-Araguaia Administration), Rogério Barzelay,
who admitted removing some of the statements made by the anthropologists
who were contracted to evaluate the impacts of the hidrovia on 15
indigenous ethnic groups.
"The studies were discussed by the coordinators of each sector. Certain
things that the anthropologists said were not accepted by these
coordinators," said Barzelay. Commenting on the statement that mortality
among the Indians could increase, as a result of pollution of the rivers,
Barzelay said that this would not be in the final version of the study.
"This statement is irresponsible. They wanted to include certain things
without a scientific basis."
The Ministry plans explosions on the rivers
The Transportation Ministry has already asked permission from Ibama to
undertake experimental explosions on the Araguaia and das Mortes rivers,
according to the head of the Environmental Licensing Department of Ibama,
Rodney Ritter. The explosions, still not authorized, would be necessary in
order that the Ministry could "verify the repercussions (of the explosion)
on the river", said Ritter. The request by the ministry shows that the
environmental studies are still incomplete, even though the EIA has already
been delivered to Ibama. Explosions of rocks using dynamite are planned
according to the environmental studies for the project, which were made
public last week. The rock removal would be necessary to open the river for
passage of cargo barges.
The greatest number of interventions will take place along a stretch of 279
km. of the Araguaia River where there are natural dikes. The study says
that "most of these dikes will require use of explosives for rock removal".
The explosions, according to the study, will kill many fish and will
destroy breeding areas.
Dredging (removal of sand from the riverbed) will have even greater
impacts. The study said that dredging could cause "alteration and
degradation of local scenery, erosion of the riverbanks, siltation and
deepening of channels and disappearance of sand banks and natural islands."
Environmentalists reject the project
The revelation, by the Transportation Ministry, that an artificial canal is
planned as part of the hidrovia caused additional complaints by
environmentalists who are against the project. The confirmation of this
action was made by minister Eliseu Padilha, who says he contracted a
company in July to design a project for diverting the river between
Xambioá, Tocantins state and Santa Isabel, Pará.
The company, in a seven-month study called for "lateral canals to be
excavated in the deepest stretches." The artifical canal would be 60 km.
long, and would cost $110 million, which is already part of next year's
federal budget. According to the minister, this would be a way of
"preserving rapids, islands, archaeological sites and rocks".
News such as this is intensifying the campaign of non-governmental
organizations against the Araguaia-Tocantins hidrovia. Groups from
Brasília, São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Goiás are organizing, with the help of
some political leaders. Cebrac (Brazilian Reference and Cultural Support
Center Foundation) is bringing together professionals from diverse fields
to carry out a detailed analysis of the EIA. The technical director of
Cebrac, Maurício Galinkin, hopes to use the results of the independent
studies to provide ammunition for civil society in a debate as to whether
the project is really needed.
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Glenn Switkes, Director, Latin America Program,
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
South America/América do Sul:
Tel/Fax/Message/Recados: +55 65 791 1313
email: glen@cba.zaz.com.br
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