Petrobras and Forbes & Manhattan violate city law by not performing environmental audit at shale plant

Mario Alberto Dalzot*

O Public Ministry of Paraná registered the Notícia de Fato (0136.22.000410-7) last Wednesday (5) in which it informs that it will investigate possible environmental damage to the municipality of São Mateus do Sul in the process of selling the unit of industrialization of shale (SIX) at Canadian group Forbes & Manhattan Resources Inc.

The investigation responds to a request from the city council of the city, which highlighted the non-compliance with the municipal law nº 3.055/2021. The legislation provides that companies with activities with a high potential for pollution or environmental degradation, such as the petrochemical and steel industries, must periodically carry out mandatory environmental audits, with a maximum interval of two years.

The audit must carry out assessments and studies to verify compliance with environmental legal standards, the actual or potential levels of pollution or environmental degradation, the operating and maintenance conditions of the equipment and the pollution control, the measures necessary to ensure the protection of the environment and human health, in addition to training workers in the operation and maintenance of systems and the risk factors arising from potentially polluting activities.

The municipal law also establishes that “in the event of transfer of ownership control related to the exercise of the activity described in this law, regardless of the legal means of transaction, it is necessary to carry out a mandatory environmental audit “. Non-compliance with the procedure implies the blocking of the
transfer of the license to the purchaser by the responsible environmental agency.

The transaction involving Petrobras and Forbes & Manhattan violates municipal legislation by not carrying out the mandatory environmental audit and, therefore, the Canadian group does not have an environmental license for the manufacture of shale in São Mateus do Sul.

The Public Ministry’s Notícia de Facto does not indicate when the investigations will be opened, but establishes the commitment to investigate the facts.

Non-compliance with environmental legislation is another problem that adds to so many others in the privatization of SIX. A deal that involves fraud, illicit patronage, treason and industrial espionage.

*Mário Alberto Dalzot is President of the National Association of Minority Shareholders of Petrobrás (Anapetro) and Director of Sindipetro PR and SC.

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