Controversy Over Pará's Mining Regulations Amid COP30 Preparations

The Brazilian state of Pará is under scrutiny for regulations that allegedly encourage illegal gold mining. Brazil's Green Party and federal agencies support a lawsuit in the Supreme Court to annul these rules. A police report highlights harmful environmental impacts, urging a revision before COP30 in 2024.

The Brazilian state of Pará, slated to host the COP30 global climate talks next year, is facing criticism over local regulations encouraging illegal gold mining. Documents disclosed in a Supreme Court case reveal the state's defense of these controversial rules.

Brazil's Green Party argues that the regulations, which allow municipal authorities to license gold prospects up to 500 hectares, promote wildcat mining. This practice is rampant in Pará, the state producing the most illegal gold. The federal environmental agency Ibama, the solicitor general, and the top public prosecutor support a lawsuit to repeal the state's mining rules.

A Federal Police forensic report linked to the case highlights the environmental damage caused by wildcat miners using chemicals like mercury and cyanide, which poison critical rivers for Indigenous communities. While the Pará state government, under Governor Helder Barbalho, is reviewing these rules, it currently opposes the lawsuit. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has committed to ending illegal mining and chose Pará's capital, Belem, for COP30 to underscore his anti-deforestation efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)