The Chamber is analyzing the Bill 4244/08, proposed by Deputy Paulo Teixeira (PT-SP), which establishes specific rules for the concession of environmental licensing for alcohol distillation plants.

According to the bill, the elaboration of a study and of the respective Environmental Impact Report (EIA/Rima) is determining to define the location, the construction, the installation, the enlarging, the modification and the operation of alcohol distillation plants throughout the country.

That study should comprehend the area of direct influence of the plant and of the agricultural properties supplying sugar-cane for its supply.

Criteria
The bill determines that the EIA/Rima should analyze the following aspects indicated by the licensing body:
- Water availability for the supply of the plant and for agriculture;
- Maintenance of permanent preservation areas and of the legal reserve;
- Creation of ecological corridors at the draining basins;
- Generation and final destination of potentially polluting residues, including the vinasse and the filter cake, which may degrade the ground and the water bodies of the region;
- displacing potential of agriculture and animal industry in the region and their effects on the food safety and on the suppression of native vegetation;
- The balance of carbon, including the consume of fossil fuel for the transportation of alcohol; and
-The labor relations in agricultural properties, which supply sugar cane.

Compensation
The EIA/Rima should define the measures that will minimize and compensate possible environmental and social impacts, generated by the undertaking.

Among the compensatory measures of the gas emissions causing the greenhouse effect, the study can establish the creation of a unity of conservation and the recovery of degraded areas.

The bill forbids the licensing of alcohol producing plants which deforest native vegetation in good state of conservation or in an advanced state of recovering and in locations considered as inadequate by the agricultural, ecological and economic zoning of the sugar cane in the region.

The text also prohibits the concession of government and private credit for the sugar-cane culture in those inadequate locations.

The licensing of those undertakings currently follows the rules established in a series of laws, especially Law 6938/91, which defines the National Politics on the Environment; Law 8171/91, which addresses agricultural politics; and the Decree 4297/02, which regulates the ecological-economic zoning.

Economic impact
Paulo Teixeira justifies the presentation of a specific proposal for the alcohol producing plants with the argument that sugar cane has a very strong impact on Brazilian economy.

The deputy mentions the Energetic Balance of Sugar-Cane and Agricultural Power, published in 2007 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Supply to remind that Brazil and the United States are “almost even” as the largest world producers of ethanol.

"Each one of them produced around 14 billion liters in 2005, a much higher rate than China, in second place, which produced 3.8 billion liters in the same year”, he highlighted.

For Teixeira, another assessed aspect regards the balance of carbon. He observes that the use of ethanol as an energetic source generates fewer carbon emissions than the use of gasoline and diesel oil.

"However, researchers of the University of Campinas alerted that the alcohol sector still uses fossil fuels along its chain, especially in the transportation of ethanol from the plants to the distribution bases, and from those to the gas stations.”

Procedure
The bill will be reviewed in conclusive character by the Committees on Agriculture, Animal Industry, Supply and Rural Development; on the Environment and Sustainable Development; and on the Constitution and Justice and Citizenship.

Report - Rodrigo Bittar
Editing - Newton Araújo
Translation - Positive Idiomas Ltda