As of August 30th, the decision was revoked by Federal Justice, in response to a popular iniciative, alleging that the authorization of mining practices in the Amazon must be made by passing a Law through the House of Representatives and not by a presidential decree.
Original post:
The Brazilian government extinguished the legal reserve protection for Renca, the National Reserve for Copper and Associates, located on the border of the states Pará and Amapá, originally created in 1984. Renca encompasses a total of 4,6 mi hectares, a territory composed by 9 distinctive protected areas.
The region is of great interest to the mining industry because of its potential for the extraction of gold and other minerals such as iron, manganese and tantalum. Without the legal protection, the área may now be subject to exploitation.
The measure was made oficial by decree 9.142/17 on August 23rd 2017, and has already caused some backlash commotion by activists, though it does not affect existing legislation for native forests, conservation areas and indigenous land protection. The Brazilian government expects investment attraction and increase in the country’s mining production.
Aldeota Global 