On the last 17, the Committee on Urban Development approved a bill that addresses the permanent environmental preservation areas around lagoons, lakes and natural or artificial water reservoirs. The approved bill is a substitution bill proposed by the Deputy Renato Amary (PSDB-SP) to the Bill number 7397/06, from the Deputy Semeghini (PSDB-SP). It establishes the extension of those areas, which had been omitted in the Forest Code (Law 4.771/65).

The original Project established the measurements for the preservation areas around artificial reservoirs. In the substitution bill, the rapporteur redefined those measurements and added the extension for the preservation areas surrounding lagoons and lakes.

According to the substitution bill, the extension of that area will be calculated from the maximum capacity of the reservoir. The measurement of those areas surrounding lagoons or natural lakes will be the following: 30 meters of width, if the lagoon has up to 10 hectares of surface; 50 meters, if it has from 10 to 20 hectares; and 100 meters, in the remaining cases.

Artificial Reservoirs
The substitution bill establishes a permanent preservation area with a minimum width of 15 meters for the artificial water reservoirs with surfaces of up to 5 hectares, in urban or rural areas.

Around artificial reservoirs smaller than 5 hectares, though, in urban or rural areas, the permanent preservation area will be established in the environmental licensing process of the undertaking, but the minimum width of 15 meters around the reservoir will be respected.

Conservation plan
The text maintained the requirement that the undertaker, when requiring environmental licensing to construct artificial reservoirs for power generation and water supply, elaborates an environmental plan of conservation and use of the environment of the reservoir.

The substitution bill reduced the detailing of the rules for the regularization of consolidated settlements surrounding natural and artificial lagoons, lakes and water reservoirs.
In the areas inside urban perimeter, there are requirements for the municipalities to regulate these settlements, among which the approval of an agrarian regularization plan of local interest. In rural areas, the regularization of consolidated settlements will be in charge of states councils of Environment.

Procedure
The Bill will still be reviewed by the Committee on Mines and Energy; on Environment and Sustainable Development; and on the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship.