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    Improving State-Level Environmental Governance in Brazil / Melhorar Gestão Ambiental Estadual no Brasil

    Friday, September 25th, 2009

    Temas Observation: Note how this loan/project is being marketed. The headline trumpets “green growth” when in reality the program is more about strengthening environmental governance/institutions, arguably not as sexy a topic. The Bank argues that this is about ensuring economic growth is as green as possible through good regulation by competent, properly-equipped environmental regulators…seems like […]

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    IBAMA Fines Firms Not Registered in CTF

    Monday, August 24th, 2009

    Brazil’s federal environment agency, IBAMA, is sending a message to firms operating in Brazil that might be engaged in polluting activity, and therefore should be registered in the Federal Technical Registry (CTF) overseen by IBAMA.  It just checked on CTF compliance by 84 firms in the Center-West state of Tocantins, in the process issuing 66 […]

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    Mandatory PSAs at the Movies?

    Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

    The Governor of Brazil’s Federal District (DF) just signed a law that would require all the cinemas in the DF to exhibit “educative campaigns on the preservation, conservation, restoration and improvement of the environment” before showing films. The campaigns are to be produced and supplied by the DF’s agencies responsible for the preservation, conservation, restoration […]

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    Directional Signals in Brazilian Federal Waste Policy

    Monday, August 17th, 2009

    A body most people have never heard of, part of a larger organization many people do not know or understand, met today and took a series of decisions that will help shape new directions in waste policy in Brazil. The larger organization many do not know and a good many do not understand is Brazil’s […]

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    More Progress on P2R2 in Brazil

    Monday, August 3rd, 2009

    Earlier this year I posted about how slowly Brazil’s states were taking up their role under the National Plan for the Prevention of, Preparation for and Response to Environmental Emergencies Involving Hazardous Chemicals Products (“P2R2”), and more recently about Environment Ministry (MMA) efforts to move things along. Now comes some new signs of movement among […]

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    A Bill to Require EIAs Before Packaging Drinks in Plastic

    Saturday, May 30th, 2009

    Last year in a post about efforts in Brazil to stop the sale of beer in PET bottles, I explored some of the possible ramifications of an April 2008 rejection by a federal judge of all challenges to a 2002 ruling that brewers wishing to bottle their beer in PET or any other plastic must […]

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    Brazil Launches HCFC Elimination Program

    Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

    Brazil has just launched the Brazilian Program for the Elimination of HCFCs (PBH) to end that nation’s use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). HCFCs became the substitute of choice for many of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) controlled under the Montreal Protocol (on substitutes that deplete the ozone layer) used a refrigerants in such products as freezers and air […]

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    Rio Adopts Environmental Registry and Inspection Tax

    Sunday, April 19th, 2009

    Rio de Janeiro just became the latest Brazilian state to adopt a state-level version of the Federal Technical Registry (CTF) and Environmental Control and Inspection Tax (TCFA). The CTF was created by law in 2000 as a federal registry of industries and activities that the national environment authority, IBAMA, deems likely to produce pollution, and […]

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    Preparing for Accidents with Hazardous Substances

    Monday, March 16th, 2009

    Recently I posted about about how Brazilian states are slowly taking up their responsibility under a 2004 federal decree to create state-level committees or commissions on the Prevention of, Preparation for and Response to Environmental Emergencies Involving Hazardous Chemicals Products (“P2R2”). I think perhaps I might have left the mistaken impressions that (1) Brazil had […]

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    A Symbolic Ban of Asbestos

    Thursday, January 29th, 2009

    Brazil’s Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, just banned asbestos. Well, not quite.  He announced at the World Social Forum that has banned, through an administrative rule (portaria), the use of any product containing asbesto fibers in construction or goods acquired by the Environment Ministry (MMA) and its associated organs: the national environment agency, IBAMA, the Chico […]

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