Environmental Licensing Research Articles

Statistical analysis of self-affinity of energy dispatch in power generation in the Northeast region of Brazil

In this article, we study the fractal dynamics in time series of energy generation in the Northeast region of Brazil, considering a database used by the National Electric System Operator referring to semi-hourly information on the generation of various energy sources. Applying the DFA technique between the years 2020 and 2022, it was found that the dispatch of solar energy fluctuated in all years from superdiffusive behavior in the short term to persistent in the long term, whereas wind generation in all years varied from superdiffusive short-term to long-term subdiffusive. In all observation periods, there was a repeatability of the dispatch behavior of wind and solar sources, which can be explained by the fact that these sources always maintain a standard of availability for the energy matrix. When analyzing the behavior of solar generation, a greater predictability of energy availability was found, which can therefore be considered as a more viable source to make up for the lack of hydraulic energy. This analysis is based on historical time series numbers, not considering the costs of each energy source, environmental license situations, among other factors.

An examination of the state of the art of environmental licensing aimed at the exploitation of ornamental rocks based on theses and dissertations in the CAPES Catalog

The present article presents a critical review of the research related to the question of environmental licensing. This article has the objective of analyzing the main aspects of Brazilian scientific production around environmental licensing focused on the exploration of ornamental rocks, a sector that is little studied, despite causing great socio-environmental impacts. The research is justified to the extent that the study of academic production in graduate programs can elucidate the level of depth of the quest for environmental licensing has in graduate programs. The study was developed in the realization of a bibliographical survey in the Catalog of Theses and Dissertations of CAPES no more than September 2021, using two search terms: "Environmental License" and "Rocha". This survey identified a total of 66 papers that encompass productions carried out at the academic, professional and doctorate level. From this list of academic works, tables and graphs were used for the analysis of the two contents found. With this, it was possible to identify the topics addressed in the identified studies, or that made it possible to conduct an analytical effort of a qualitative nature about the different dimensions that govern the process of environmental licensing and its main bottlenecks. An important factor is that it was verified that despite two studies focused on environmental licensing, they will be marked by an interdisciplinary effort, or the final result ends up favoring a fragmented treatment of the problem. Finally, based on two results, it is possible to affirm that the environmental licensing process continues to be permeated by conceptual and practical limitations, or that it ends up compromising its effectiveness in terms of socio-environmental protection in Brazil.

Identification of obstacles in the environmental licensing process of thermoelectric power plants of the state of amazonas using the theory of restrictions, through the Current Reality Tree (ARA)

Environmental licensing seeks to promote sustainable development in the implementation of thermoelectric power plants, which have been characterized as causing environmental degradation. This process has been criticized, especially regarding the delay in the issuance of documents. For this reason, this research sought to study the causes that result in several problems in the environmental licensing process of the UTEs of Amazonas. To this end, the tool of the Theory of Constraints known as the Tree of Current Reality (ARA) was applied, together with interviews with the environmental technicians of the agency responsible for licensing and with the environmental consultants of the companies, aiming to identify root causes of the situation. It was verified the lack of mastery of the consultants of the companies regarding the specific subjects and procedures for licensing the activity, the areas chosen for the implementation of the plants and the lack of manpower. Based on this, it is proposed a pre-training of the consultants related to the licensing of the UTEs, the logistical planning of the companies aligned with the complexities of the Amazon territory, hiring of technical staff. This study contributes to the affirmation of the effectiveness of the ARA and to its application in other licensing processes of UTE's in other locations, since no studies were found that apply the ARA in the analysis of the licensing of Thermoelectric Power Plants, collaborating to improve the performance of this very important instrument that is the environmental licensing.

Environmental licensing and its efficiency as regulatory means of real estate expansion, resulting from the implementation of urban allotments

Urban expansion and its evolution in Brazil proves necessary to be inserted in an environment of regulation and also supervision of all its phases. Bearing in mind that inspection has often been used as a mere administrative device. This article deals with environmental licenses and their efficiency in the face of real estate expansion, as a means of regulation in urban allotments, aiming to demonstrate the importance of these procedures as environmental guides in these spaces, the relevant national legislation and scientific works on the subject were used as methodology. We conclude that urbanization processes through subdivisions have prior installation and environmental licenses, important inspection procedures for the enterprise, where its conditions when issued need to be inspected and duly approved for the continuation of the enterprise.

Socio-Environmental Impact Assessment: Evidence from The Literature and Environmental Licensing Professionals

Objetivo: Analisar a produção recente da literatura sobre avaliação de impactos socioambientais e as percepções de profissionais que atuam no licenciamento ambiental visando evidenciar fatores para aprimoramento. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo com abordagem mista (quantitativa-qualitativa). Os dados foram coletados de profissionais que atuam no licenciamento ambiental do Distrito Federal, aplicando-se o método de levantamento de opinião por questionários estruturados. Também foi realizada revisão sistemática da literatura para comparar os resultados acadêmicos com as percepções dos profissionais. Resultados e conclusão: A percepção negativa do licenciamento ambiental dos profissionais que atuam licenciamento ambiental endossa os resultados de trabalhos acadêmicos que têm focado nos problemas da efetividade desse instrumento. Embora a percepção dos profissionais seja negativa, a maioria acredita que o instrumento é importante para a mitigação dos impactos socioambientais negativos. Medidas de aperfeiçoamento foram sugeridas na pesquisa. Implicações da pesquisa: Evidencia fatores que interferem na efetividade do licenciamento ambiental e propõe recomendações de aprimoramento do instrumento em consonância com os princípios do desenvolvimento sustentável. Originalidade: O trabalho contribui com o debate acadêmico sobre os fatores que interferem na efetividade do licenciamento ambiental, promovendo subsídios para aprimoramento do instrumento e para o processo de tomada de decisão dos gestores públicos.

Adapting Hydropower to European Union Water Law: Flexible Governance versus Legal Effectiveness in Sweden and Finland

AbstractIn both Sweden and Finland, water law has traditionally provided strong protection for hydropower operations by issuing permanent environmental licences. This national protection has started to erode as a result of the requirement of the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) for permit reviews to improve the ecological status of rivers. In the light of this dynamic between European and national frameworks, this article compares the Swedish and Finnish implementation of the WFD regarding existing hydropower operations. Whereas Sweden has adopted comprehensive legislative and policy reforms that embrace a systemic perspective on reconciling hydropower with the current societal and ecological circumstances, Finland has relied on bottom-up collaborative processes at the grassroots level. The article shows that both approaches are problematic in so far as they push the boundaries of proper implementation of the WFD and, by extension, the achievement of the ecological objectives of the WFD in waters affected by hydropower. Our comparison highlights tensions between EU law requirements for formal legal effectiveness in national implementation, and the WFD's aspirations for adaptive river basin-based governance.

GRANTS FOR SURFACE CATCHMENT IN THE MICROREGION OF ALTO PARAGUAI, MATO GROSSO

The research aimed to define the profile of grants of the right to use water resources for surface abstraction in the Microregion of Alto Paraguai, Mato Grosso state. In the investigation, files in KML format and electronic spreadsheets were used with information regarding the granting processes for surface capture, obtained from the GeoPortal of the State Secretariat for the Environment of Mato Grosso (SEMA-MT). In addition, vector files were used with territorial and municipal limits, available in the cartographic databases of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. To compare the volumes granted and those available for surface abstraction in the mentioned microregion, the Integrated Environmental Monitoring and Licensing System (SIMLAM) was adopted. Then, applying the filters in the EXCEL spreadsheet, the various activities were classified, as well as their respective water demands were quantified. Thus, the profile of grants was divided into three groups: Animal husbandry, Irrigation and others remaining purposes. The results indicated that the municipality of Santo Afonso is the most worrying in the microregion with a maximum reference flow close to 0.6 m3∙s- 1, considered low for an agricultural profile. It should be emphasized that in some surface catchment points in this municipality, the value of 60% of the reference flow for total consumptive uses was reached. Therefore, it is inferred that in this municipality there are limitations to developing agricultural activities and carrying out rational and sustainable management of water resources. The methodology adopted in this study made it possible to define the profile of grants of the right to use water resources for surface abstraction in the Alto Paraguai Microregion, Mato Grosso.

EVALUATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL LICENSING PROCESS OF MARINE CALCAREOUS ALGAE BY THE IBAMA IN BRAZIL: CONTRIBUTIONS TO INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING

Currently, the efforts of marine research and marine resources exploitation are rising. However, debate usually is divided into economic and conservation approaches. One procedure used in Brazil to achieve coherence between economic development and environmental management in exploitation of natural resources is the environmental licensing. In Brazil, this activity is relatively recent and so little is known about the actual negative environmental impacts. The goal of this paper was to evaluate the main positive and negative aspects from environmental licensing process of exploitation of marine algae in Brazil guided by the IBAMA, focusing on processes with operation license emitted or expired. This qualitative research and methodology was developed into different stages between 2014 to 2015, analysis of legislation, information in licensing online systems and consultation in the technical collection of IBAMA head office, in Brasília. From processes evaluated, some of the main negative aspects found were incomplete studies, occurrence of irregularities, time elapsed and judicial intervention. On the other hand, positive aspects were strategies to give more speed and efficiency to processes. For breaching the conditions of operating licenses, all these licenses were suspended. The improvement of environmental licensing is needed and very required by several actors. However, it needs a broad discussion that considers the institutional existing experiences and limitations, mainly under challenges and pressure in its operational, budgetary or political performance.

Evidence of tangible and intangible heritage in the Manguinhos territory

This article discusses environmental licensing as an instrument for the identification and preservation of cultural heritage. Throughout 2021, studies were undertaken in and around Fundação Oswaldo Cruz's Manguinhos campus, in Rio de Janeiro, in preparation for the introduction of a sewage system by the local authority. The studies revealed how the territory had been occupied and enabled the identification of vestiges of material culture in an archaeological context and the heritage listed by Iphan, the Brazilian federal heritage protection agency - baianas de acarajé, capoeira, and cordel literature - the knowledge, and the forms of expression that bear witness to the development of the Manguinhos territory, a process in continuous motion.

IDEAL MODEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVAL AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CONTROL IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

<p><em>This study is centered on the change in the arrangement of environmental permits as regulated in Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 32/2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management (UUPPLH) to environmental approval as regulated in Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11/2020 concerning Job Creation (Omnibus Law). This study aims to examine and analyze the implications of changes in environmental approval arrangements as regulated in the Omnibus Law concerning environmental licensing in the Environmental Protection and Management Law. A normative legal research method was employed in this study. The approaches used in this study included the statute approach and the conceptual approach. The results of this study confirmed the need to balance economic interests with environmental sustainability so that sustainable development can be well actualized.</em></p>

Integrating geographic intelligence for sustainable powerline planning

This research explores the potential of geographic intelligence in modelling optimal corridors for assessing alternative locations for power transmission lines at different stages of the study. The difficulties verified in the environmental licensing of new projects, the expansion of the national transmission system, and the lack of work to research techniques for formulating locational alternatives are motivating questions for this research. The investigation employs a multicriteria decision-making approach integrated with a geographic information framework to compute and map the feasibility corridors based on environmental constraints and stakeholder inputs. Findings reveal that the current decision-making process for implementing new power transmission lines involves disparate public and private entities operating non-integratively in a multi-level analysis and decision-making process. Through a case study utilising multicriteria analysis and expert consultations, the research demonstrates the applicability of spatial modelling in the locational planning of transmission projects. It highlights the model's capacity to address the complexity inherent in such studies, aggregate analyses and decisions from various stakeholders, and enhance transparency in the decision-making process from energy planning to operational phases.

Identification of Gold Mining Vessels based on Classification Algorithms using Sentinel-2 Images

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining can occur on land or in riverbeds. However, the activity needs to be supported by a Mining Permit, issued by the Agência Nacional de Mineração, and the appropriate environmental license from the competent environmental agency. The use of images from Sentinel-2 satellites presents itself as a potential tool for identifying gold mining vessels due to the temporal resolution, free imagery, global coverage, and more refined spatial resolution. So, this study aimed to identify gold mining vessels on the Madeira River near Porto Velho city, Rondônia state, located at Brazilian Amazon, in 13 Sentinel-2 images from 2018 to 2021 using the classifiers: Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) Random Forest (RF) and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM). The results showed that machine learning classifiers obtained the best performance, especially the object-oriented SVM classifier, which had the best average F1 score (0.91). In addition, the detection percentage of gold mining vessels originated by this classifier was satisfactory, with only 0 to 4 active gold mining vessels with sediment plumes being omitted per image. Therefore, based on the results obtained, it was concluded that the use of machine learning classifiers proved to be effective in identifying gold mining vessels.

Dry Stacking of Filtered Tailings for Large-Scale Production Rates over 100,000 Metric Tons per Day: Envisioning the Sustainable Future of Mine Tailings Storage Facilities

Communities and authorities have been dismayed by globally recorded tailings storage facility (TSF) failures in recent years, which have negatively affected the safety of people and the integrity of the environment. In this context, obtaining the social and environmental license to operate TSFs has become a challenging process for mining companies. This has promoted the trend of using mine tailings dewatering technologies in the mining industry, with dry stacking of filtered mine tailings being recognized worldwide as one of the most acceptable, safe, and environmentally friendly solutions. This article presents a new paradigm in managing mine tailings, with disruptive and futuristic characteristics, considering the dry stacking of filtered mine tailings for large-scale industrial production rates over 100,000 metric tons per day (mtpd). Aspects of filtered tailings management are discussed, such as (i) dewatering process plant with thickening/filtering equipment, (ii) conveyance using fixed and movable conveyor belts, (iii) construction of dry stacking of filtered mine tailings facility, and (iv) implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies for automation of the mining processes. Finally, the article discusses how the large-scale filtered mine tailings solution is applied, considering the advances in the equipment’s performance and implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies as well as the experience gained worldwide in several mining operations. The future global trend is that mining operations with high daily production of mine tailings will apply dry stacking technology without dams to guarantee sustainability, promote continuity of the mining business, ensure the safety of communities, and conserve the environment.

Environmental Justice at the Environmental Regulation in Indonesia and Uzbekistan

Justice theory, which emphasizes the fair and equitable allocation of risks and benefits, has significantly influenced the idea of environmental justice. Indonesia and Uzbekistan have made it mandatory for laws and regulations to implement the concept of environmental justice. Still, in practice, the rules created give birth to social-environmental conflict dimensions that are increasingly prevalent and far removed from environmental justice. This research aims to understand and analyze environmental justice regulation in Indonesia and Uzbekistan. This research uses a normative juridical approach with a literature review involving primary and secondary legal sources. The results show that the provisions of the Job Creation Bill in the forestry and environmental sectors negate access to justice via litigation at the State Administrative Court (PTUN) so that there is no public space to continue an AMDAL decision or environmental approval as part of an environmental licensing instrument in the realm of administrative law. Regulatory problems that co-occur and are followed by implementation problems at a later date relating to the legitimacy and protection of people's constitutional rights will harm the community's sense of justice. At the same time, the issue of environmental injustice in Uzbekistan arises from the ecological crisis beginning with green space, waste management, and the water crisis that has afflicted the nation, as indicated by the preceding explanation. The government must establish national policies, institutional instruments, and central and regional environmental management authorities to facilitate development with an eye toward environmental justice.

Averting Deforestation: Designing the Model of a Public Participation-Based Environmental Agreement of Shifting Functionality of Forest

This research highlights the shifting concepts and mechanisms in business licensing in forest areas from environmental licensing to an environmental agreement following the effectuation of Indonesia’s Job Creation Law. It is important to investigate this change, considering that it may involve environmental damage or deforestation in forest areas, which tends to be pro-businesses. With the normative-juridical method that incorporates statutory, conceptual, and analytical approaches, This research aims to analyze the concept of the integration of an environmental agreement in risk-based business licensing that has changed business licensing into an environmental agreement in forestry. This study also analyzes the concept of an environmental agreement concept regarding the likelihood of deforestation and the shifting functionality of forest areas. The last important point is that it is paramount to set an ideal legal construction in the environmental agreement in risk-based business licensing in forestry businesses by employing a restorative justice approach and public participation. The research results recommend an ideal legal concept in the integration of an environmental agreement into risk-based business licensing by taking into account public participation, as outlined in Environmental Protection and Management Law, implying citizens to have both public and private rights, enabling them to participate. Moreover, the public role can adjust to the need and risk levels developed with varied concepts of the development of public participation by considering theories and practices in other countries.

Environmental noise predictions using a statistical approach

Noise pollution from industrial premises has the potential to have an impact on neighbouring properties. In New South Wales the Environment Protection Authority has developed the Noise Policy for Industry (NPfI). The NPfI requires noise assessments to be conducted using a typical assessment procedure that results in setting project noise trigger levels (PNTLs) which are the benchmark levels against which potential noise impacts from industrial developments are judged. The PNTLs are then used in Environmental Protection Licences to regulate the premises. The NPfI requires noise assessments to consider worst-case (i.e., noise-enhancing) meteorological conditions. In addition, regulators and consent authorities often require noise assessments to include a range of other conservative assumptions such as worst-case source levels and locations. This process appears to be very conservative, particularly considering that the PNTL in each assessment period (day, evening and night) are based on lowest 10th percentile background noise levels. This paper, through a statistical approach of using random probability distributions, will identify the likelihood that modelled noise levels and associated impacts are likely to occur and comment on the appropriateness of the conservative assessment process.

(Mis) perception of environmental laws: Modeling challenges based on information source preferences

The role of information is critical in how societies handle complex issues, such as environmental policies. However, the global prevalence of low-quality sources has a significant impact on societal perception. Within this scenario, Brazil may represent a useful model case with recent policy changes aiming to reduce government control on environmental impacts. The 2022 debate surrounding the 3729/2004 bill serves as an example of pressures to diminish the efficiency of the environmental licensing process. Here we assessed how socioeconomic aspects affect the public interest in the theme and its preferences for information sources. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of these sources on the perception of environmental law regarding the licensing process and this particular Bill. We interviewed 2052 people by an opt-in online survey all over Brazil, generating 415 records suitable for analysis. We build a structural equation model to understand the relationship between the latent variables (Knowledge, Interest, Preferred Media Sources, and Importance) and the Bill. Our results show that the respondent's interest in the Bill is concentrated in this society's academic and high-income portion. However, the subject is not a significant thread on any media. Academic media (peer-reviewed) has a positive effect on knowledge and the importance given to the theme. However, we observed a higher likelihood of unreliable responses when respondents expressed a preference for academic media. Moreover, the public prefers social media platforms, coworker information exchanges, and websites over than academic media to inform themselves about Bill 3729/2004 and environmental licensing. We further discuss the importance of scientific communication to avoid the concentration of knowledge about this theme in a bubble of wealthy or highly educated respondents. We conclude that the active participation of academics in the general community may give the general public the basic information needed to make them an active voice in the policymaking process.

Consulta pública, (Bio) ética e democracia

ABSTRACT Public participation is a fundamental democratic mechanism to evaluate the quality of the decision-making process involving environmental licensing. The operation of public participation in environmental licensing may occur through direct or indirect means, indicating greater or less capacity for social accountability in the relationship between communities and enterprises that will produce environmental impacts that will affect these communities to a greater or lesser extent and scope. The institutional and political viability of paralyzing the voice of those affected by entrepreneurship in the environmental licensing process thus becomes much more than a democratic procedure, but a form of bioethical exercise in the relationship between social actors, the State and economic agents. The purpose of this proposal is to evaluate the extent to which public participation in environmental licensing regarding the Environmental Study of Sedimentary Area (EAAS) of the Sergipe-Alagoas/Jacuípe sea basin. The public consultation is a democratic mechanism for conflict environmental resolution, and it should be understood as an applied ethical bet on political action by recognizing that rights incorporated as human rights. For our eminently interdisciplinary aim, Political Science, Environmental Impact Assessment and Bioethics are fields that mediate this reflection and allow us to reflect the necessary procedural adjustments to an imperfect democratic mechanism.

Environmental technology licensing with multi-product competition in a vertically differentiated duopoly

ABSTRACT In many polluting industries, firms with high environmental quality (HEQ) products often license their new environmental technology to firms with low environmental quality (LEQ) products. After accepting the licensing arrangement, firms with LEQ products can produce both the HEQ and LEQ products and compete with the licensor. What type of licensing mode is optimal under such circumstance becomes an interesting question and warrants analysis. To analyze this issue, we construct a vertical product differentiation duopoly model with multi-product competition. The results show that two-part tariff licensing is always the optimal strategy for the licensor, and it is the optimal licensing strategy as well to improve the environment and social welfare only when the degree of product environmental quality differentiation is relatively high.

The Implementation of Utilizing Government Capital Funds Policy in the Indonesia Logistics Bureau

This study analyzes the policy implementation of Government Capital Funds (GCF) for the Indonesia Logistics Bureau (Perusahaan Umum Badan Urusan Logistik, Perum BULOG) to support national food security. This study also aims to identify any obstacles and determine the development of an effective policy model for implementing the policy. This study uses qualitative methods, and the primary data was obtained from informants using the snowball technique collected from in-depth interviews. The result of this study is that the implementation of GCF fund utilization could have been more optimal in achieving the set targets due to several obstacles. These obstacles include the incomprehensiveness and inconsistencies in GCF policy planning, the difficulty of undertaking land acquisition and obtaining an environmental license, GCF funds are much less than the total needs that should be met, and the discontinuation of the RASTRA Program for low-income families and poor food security governance. In addition, developing an implementation model for the effective use of GCF funds requires strengthening the authority of national food security management institutions. This study recommends that the government upgrade the status of Indonesia's Logistics Bureau to become a ministry-level institution. The relationship pattern with the National Food Agency must also be strengthened for better food policy governance.