US embassy cable - 05BRASILIA98

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000098 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR OES/SAT AND WHA/BSC 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USITC FOR CHRISTOPHER MAPES AND DAVID 
INGERSOLL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, ENRG, EPET, SENV, TSPL, KSCA, BR, Science 
SUBJECT: USITC TRAVEL TO BRASILIA FOR COLLECTION OF DATA ON 
SERVICES IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AND AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION 
ABATEMENT 
 
REFS: A) 04 STATE 247491, B) 04 BRASILIA 2953 
 
1. (U) Summary: United States International Trade Commission 
(USITC) Senior International Trade Specialist David 
Ingersoll and International Trade Analyst Christopher Mapes 
visited Brasilia December on December 21-22, 2004, after 
visits to Rio and Sao Paulo to speak to Brazilian 
governmental entities on regulations governing air and noise 
pollution abatement and renewable energy services.  The team 
met with officials at the Ministry of Mines and Energy in 
the renewal energy, petrol and natural gas divisions. They 
also met with the National Agency for Electrical Energy, the 
Ministry of the Environment, and the Superintendent for 
Waste Water Treatment in Brasilia.  GOB policies seem to 
focus more heavily on the development of renewable energy 
sources, with less emphasis on the monitoring and resolution 
of air and water pollution problems. Sao Paulo and Rio will 
send separate reports. End Summary. 
 
2. The Director of Renewable Energy Development at the 
Ministry of Mines and Energy, Laura Porto, explained the 
overall policy goals of the present Administration.  As 
explained, the GOB intends to expand and diversify Brazil's 
energy sources, hoping eventually to increase the percentage 
of renewable sources in the matrix and decrease traditional 
fossil fuels. The focus now is on biomass, ethanol, 
hydroelectric and biodiesel. There is also a considerable 
push to decentralize energy sources, taking advantage of the 
potential for wind energy in the northeast, southeast for 
biomass (sugar cane), and hydro electric for small power 
plants in the south where they have good rivers. The Lula 
government is also focusing on services related to the 
treatment of wastewater, solid and hazard waste, cleanup of 
hazardous sites and water purification. 
 
3.  At the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Joao Souto, 
responded to questions about air quality issues. Nationally, 
air quality has improved. Although Brazil has been achieving 
a rapid reduction in the use of substances that destroy the 
ozone layer, burnings and forest fires, out of control in 
some instances, negate much of the positive that has been 
accomplished. Locally, the situation varies. Each 
municipality, he explained, can determine whether it wants 
to enact stricter regulations than those federally mandated. 
States and cities have enforcement powers. 
 
On the issue of noise pollution, apparently, only the larger 
municipalities enforce the regulations. The Ministry of 
Labor and the Ministry of Health set noise limits for 
workers. 
 
4.  At the Agencia Nacional de Energia Electrica, Alvaro 
Mesquita produced an Atlas of Electric Energy in Brazil, 
which included helpful sections on solar, hydro, biomass, 
mineral, natural gas and nuclear. 
 
5.  Others meetings included Victor Zular Zveibil, Secretary 
of Environmental Quality at the Ministry of the Environment 
and Dr. Klaus Dieter Neder, Superintendent of the waste 
water treatment in Brasilia. 
 
6.  The report on the Sao Paulo segment has already been 
sent, and the Rio de Janeiro report will shortly follow. 
 
CHICOLA