Brazil’s lower house passes bill opposed by preservation groups

Brazil's lower house of Congress has passed a bill that has fiercely challenged environmental groups to relax licensing requirements for infrastructure, mining, agriculture and other projects. The move has attracted criticism from protection groups when Brazil's environmental record is being scrutinized while deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is soaring. U.S. President Joe Biden's government is in talks with Brazil to fund possible conservation efforts but has demanded that the nation first show results in the destruction. Preliminary data released last week showed that the Amazon deforestation in Brazil in April was the highest for that month in at least five years.

The report compiled by the government's Deter monitoring system showed that deforestation increased by 43 percent in the same month in 2020 to 581 square kilometers (224 square miles).

The new licensing bill, which was approved late Wednesday, will now be passed to the Brazilian Senate for consideration. For many types of projects, permits can be issued automatically if the applicant meets certain submission requirements. This would include projects such as the rebuilding of current highways in the Amazon built and decayed by the military dictatorship.

Bolsonaro has promised to rebuild such a road that, according to a scientific study, will increase deforestation fivefold by 2030, leading to the clearing of an area larger than the U.S. state of Florida, or 170,000 square miles.

Proponents of the bill include Brazil's important agro caucus in Congress. They maintained that rules allowed by the Byzantine environment stimulate investment and impede economic growth in the country with natural resources. While supporters say the bill will do away with licensing certain types of projects that are considered low-risk, environmentalists say it will open the floodgates for environmental degradation. Dozens of NGOs on Wednesday signed a letter to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to which Brazil hopes to join, and expressed concern about its environmental policies, including the bill.

"If approved, it will lead to deterioration and pollution of all kinds, including the deforestation of the Amazon and the spread of new environmental disasters," the letter reads.