Search

This study deals with the environmental regularization of mining activities in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where such activities exhibit prominent economic, social and environmental importance. The main environmental rules and data from the licensing system are analyzed, focusing on the post-licensing stage, when the system is partially hampered due to insufficient technical assessment and nonsystematic inspection of the impacting activities by the environmental authorities. A preliminary assessment of the changes introduced in the environmental system in the last five years is also made, and comprise: the regional decentralization of the licensing system - and of the environmental management as a whole -, with eight regional offices, and the institution of the declaratory authorization for environmental operation of minor enterprises with potentially less degrading activities, in substitution of the traditional licensing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]