Company condemned for dumping sewage on the coast.

Alagoas 247 - The Alagoas Sanitation Company (Casal) was ordered by the Federal Court to pay compensation for environmental damage in the capital. The public company made temporary connections of the sewage collection network to stormwater drains in the Jatiúca neighborhood of Maceió. 

The ruling also stipulates that the company, the State, and the Municipality must present a detailed plan for expanding the sewage system in Maceió and initiate a project to rehabilitate the areas affected by the effluents already discharged, including allocating resources in their respective 2017 budget proposals.

The ruling is the result of Public Civil Action No. 0006366-28.2006.4.05.8000, authored by Federal Prosecutor Niedja Kaspary. Filed in 2006, the action stemmed from a civil inquiry conducted by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate the irregular discharge of effluents into the sea, as well as the need for improvements to the sewage system in Maceió.

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office of Alagoas (MPF/AL) attempted to resolve the problems administratively, holding meetings between April 2005 and March 2006, but was unsuccessful, which is why it was necessary to seek judicial protection. During the proceedings, Casal admitted to having connected the sewage collection network, used by the Costa Brava, Costa do Marfim, and Parque Jatiúca condominiums, to the stormwater drainage system during repair work in the area between June and August 2006.

Given that the development of public policies in the environmental area, especially regarding sanitation, falls under the responsibility of the State of Alagoas and the Municipality of Maceió, the judge accepted the requests of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office of Alagoas (MPF/AL) and ordered their inclusion as defendants. The State, because the state-owned public company is linked to it, and the Municipality, because it is responsible for monitoring clandestine sewage connections to rainwater drainage systems that have caused environmental damage to the beaches of the Alagoas capital.

"The discharge of sewage into the sea and onto the beaches of Maceió, in addition to degrading the environment, affects the health of the population, not to mention other damages resulting from such harmful conduct. Those responsible for such acts should be severely punished, so that impunity does not serve as an incentive for others who criminally discharge sewage into the rainwater drainage systems of Maceió," added Niedja Kaspary.

The company, the State of Alagoas, and the Municipality of Maceió must also present a detailed plan, accompanied by all necessary environmental studies, for expanding the capital's sewage system, indicating in detail the timeframe for completing each stage, as well as the works already carried out to date.

The ruling also stipulated that a project be initiated to rehabilitate the areas affected by the effluents already discharged, including the allocation of public funds included in the 2017 budget proposals.

In case of non-compliance, the Municipality may be prohibited from issuing new building permits within the urban perimeter of Maceió, the defendants may be fined, and public officials (State and Municipal Secretaries and Directors of State-owned Companies) may be held liable for acts of administrative misconduct and damage to public funds.

The amount of compensation imposed on Casal will still be determined, and it must be deposited with the Fund for the Restoration of Damaged Assets, as stipulated in Article 13 of Law No. 7.347/85.

With gazetaweb.com and press office