The Brazilian Congress has passed a bill changing its environmental licensing legislation. Among the most notable amendments made are the creation of new types of environmental licenses: the Special Environmental License (LAE) and the licensing by adhesion and commitment (LAC). The LAE may be granted for a period of 5 to 10 years to a project considered as strategic even if it may have a significant impact on the environment, and its analysis will be given priority by the licensing authority at the detriment of other licenses. The LAC will be a license that may be provided by federative entities to small or medium-sized activities with low or medium polluting potential for a 5-10 year period without the need of impact studies. In addition, the rules of the National Council for the Environment (Conama) will no longer be observed for large-scale and/or high-risk mining projects until a specific law deals with the subject.
Although the law was passed with a majority, it has divided opinions about the loosening on permitting requirements and its potential impact on the environmental and its role on the promotion the country’s development. The text has been sent to be sanctioned by the Brazilian president.
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