Brazil Federal Court orders investigation of Quilombola communities in Pará landfill site

A Brazilian Federal Court has partially granted an urgent request from the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) regarding the environmental licensing of a landfill planned for the Belém Metropolitan Region. The project, located in the rural area of Acará in northeast Pará, must now undergo a verification process to determine if Quilombola or other traditional communities exist within its area of influence.

If such communities are identified, a specific study must be conducted to assess the project's impacts on them. The court ruled that while other environmental studies may proceed, the State Secretariat for Environment, Climate, and Sustainability (Semas) must notify the court at least 15 days in advance if it intends to conclude the preliminary licensing phase before the verification is complete.

The decision follows a civil public action filed by the MPF's specialized socio-environmental group. The court noted that the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra) had not received a formal request to analyze the Quilombola component of the licensing, which falls under the federal agency's jurisdiction. Additionally, the court rejected arguments from the defense claiming that a state-level survey by Iterpa had already confirmed the absence of traditional communities in the region.