Brazil Supreme Court suspends Amazon gold mine permit

Brazil’s Supreme Court has suspended the environmental installation license for Belo Sun Mining Corp.’s proposed Volta Grande project in Para state. The decision, issued by Chief Justice Edson Fachin, follows years of opposition from Indigenous communities regarding the environmental impact of the planned open-pit mine.

Chief Justice Fachin ruled that the company failed to demonstrate full compliance with environmental requirements and protections for Indigenous populations, specifically noting a lack of adequate impact studies and failure to uphold the right to consultation. The project is situated along the Xingu River, a major Amazon tributary already significantly altered by the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam.

Indigenous representatives and environmental groups have expressed concerns that the mine could exacerbate existing issues, such as reduced river flows and declining fish populations. A 2015 feasibility study indicated the project aimed to extract 3.52 million ounces of gold over 17 years, involving the excavation of more than 600 million tons of material.