Auditoria ambiental: projecto de construção de infra-estruturas logísticas de exportação de areias pesadas

Abstract

Socio-economic development projects implemented in an area can cause significant environmental impacts, affecting environmental components and public health. For this reason, these projects undergo an evaluation process by the Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA), where they are categorised according to the scale of their impacts. If necessary, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is conducted, culminating in environmental licensing upon approval of the Environmental Impact Study Report (EIS) and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). The EMP includes measures to mitigate environmental impacts during the project’s construction, operation, and decommissioning phases, ensuring environmental preservation. Regarding Environmental Audits, the ministry responsible for the environment sector, through the National Agency for Environmental Quality Control (AQUA, I.P.), has mandates such as conducting public environmental audits, promoting private audits, issuing general and specific guidelines, registering environmental auditors, awarding certificates of environmental performance, reviewing environmental monitoring reports, and suspending private audits for non-compliance with legislation. In compliance with Decree No. 45/2024, dated 26 June, which regulates the Environmental Audit Process, AQUA, I.P. conducted an audit of a logistics infrastructure project for exporting heavy sands. The objective was to verify legal compliance, the implementation of mitigation measures, and the project’s environmental performance. The process included reviewing environmental documentation, collecting evidence, inspecting facilities, and interviewing technicians from various sectors. Key focuses were waste management, emissions, effluents, and risk management—areas susceptible to non-compliance or partial compliance due to the nature of impacts associated with the project’s activities and their effects on surrounding areas.