O Novo Código Florestal e os impactos ambientais no entorno do reservatório de São Simão em consequência da expansão canavieira

Abstract

The expansion of sugarcane cultivation has been justified because it is one of the pillars of Brazilian economic development, however, this growth often occurs to the detriment of social and environmental issues. The legal framework in force is the existing tool designed to provide compliance with the protective norms, seeking its balance with the economic and social development of the country. The new Forest Code, sanctioned by Law no. 12.651 on May 25, 2012, brought new and specific rules on permanent preservation areas, drastically reducing the protection of the artificial areas near at the reservoirs of generation of electric energy with concession prior to 2001, to cover only the maximum level of operation of the reservoir. The objective of this work is to understand the changes promoted in the environmental field after the publication of Law no. 12.651 / 12, especially regarding the areas of permanent preservation around the reservoir of the São Simão Hydroelectric Power Plant, in the municipality of Santa Vitória (MG), which is the third largest producer of sugarcane in the State of Minas Gerais, and it is necessary to verify the expansion of cultivation in these areas that are no longer APP, and to point out the environmental impacts caused by legislative changes. In the technical field, qualitative research was used, through theoretical research, documentary research and field research to achieve the objectives. The treatment of the obtained data was obtained through the search of literature that subsidized the study, linked to the current legislation, as well as in the elaboration of graphs, tables, charts and maps derived from the data provided by official bodies and the field work carried out, based on the observation and semi-structured interviews. Finally, the results of the research identified the territorialization that occurred in the Triângulo Mineiro and the municipality of Santa Vitória (MG) by sugarcane, replacing existing crops and pasture areas due to the installation of several sugarcane industries, using mainly of the agricultural partnership agreement for the planting of sugarcane. It was also verified that the occupation by sugarcane of the old areas of permanent preservation has already begun, this time without legal protection, causing several damages to the environment, such as the contamination of the waters by the use of pesticides and fertilizers, the suppression of vegetation in these places, the erosion of erosive processes on the slopes of the reservoirs and the compaction of the soil by the use of agricultural machinery.