Pará state's environmental authority says Belo Sun will ... Pará state's environmental authority says Belo Sun will cause no direct impact on indigenous lands
https://www.bnamericas.com/news/mining/para-states-environmental-authority-says-belo-sun-will-cause-no-direct-impact-on-indigenous-lands
Brazilian Pará state environmental authority (Sema) believes that Toronto-based Belo Sun Mining's (TSX: BSX) Volta Grande project will not directly impact indigenous lands, a company press official told BNamericas.
On November 20, a federal judge decided to suspend the project's licensing process until the company completes studies on nearly indigenous tribes.
Belo Sun has said it will take all applicable legal measures to appeal the decision and defend the validity and legality of the licensing process.
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"The project will operate at a distance of over 10km from any indigenous land. Therefore, in accordance with pertinent legislation, there is no need for this type of study," Belo Sun's press office told BNamericas in an e-mailed response to questions.
Volta Grande is not on indigenous land, it is not located in a federally protected area and is not being developed in more than one state, Belo Sun said. Therefore, the Pará state environmental authority is the competent entity to grant the license, according to the company.
Regarding a possible infringement of the ILO Convention 169, Belo Sun said it was not relevant. "The convention, which has not even been regulated in the country, applies only to projects located within indigenous lands or affecting them directly, which is not the case," the company said.
The Volta Grande open-pit project is slated to start operating in 2016 and become Brazil's largest gold mine. It is located next to another controversial project, Belo Monte, which is designed to become the world's third-largest hydroelectric dam, and has also been the target of lawsuits and public protests.