In response to the article entitled “clay extraction pollutes the river Corumbataí” published in the Journal of the City on 26.8.2015 and the article entitled: MP charges measures the ceramic pole against pollution Corumbataí, the news portal G1, on 08.24.2015, the ASPACER drawn up the following clarification to the general public about the influence of the production processes of the ceramic industry in Rio Corumbataí.
Extraction processes, transportation and clay burning undergo a rigorous licensing process, being necessary to prove the fulfillment of several conditions required by the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo – CETESB the Preliminary Environmental License, installation and operation. Concerning the environmental impacts questioned by the prosecutor, we provide a few steps required to obtain the Operating License in the Polo Ceramic Santa Gertrudes region:
1 – rainwater inside the mining area should be properly handled so as not to affect the quality of downstream water bodies, in compliance with the CONAMA Resolution 357/2005, when released into the watercourse;
2 – higher slopes should be kept on the side of higher incidence of winds (prevailing in the region), to protect the drying area of action of the winds;
3 – Until the treatment system facility for rainwater drainage waters, in order to prevent the flow of rainwater to water bodies, containment boxes should be kept and / or windrows for stormwater incidents in the area, getting adequate vegetation cover the slopes and ridges, providing them with proper maintenance;
4 – Develop treatment system project of incidents waters in clay processing area. If they use chemicals to treat these waters, generating physical and chemical sludge, CETESB should be informed about the estimated volume, the storage location and the final disposal of such waste;
In addition, in the ceramic pole of Santa Gertrudes region there is a predominance of land use for agricultural activities, particularly by demanding larger areas when compared to digging pits and drying patios of ceramic industries. These agricultural areas are potential sources of sediment, especially in the off-season of crops, when areas remain with the soil exposed for several months, increasing the carrying of sediment downstream.
Access routes that are unpaved can also be a contribution to the question of carrying of sediment to waterways. However these pathways are shared with treminhões transporting agricultural products, especially sugar cane.
Finally, it should clarify that fluoride is widely used in Brazil to combat tooth decay, being inserted as a component in water treatment. According to the Autonomous Department of Water and Sewage Rio Claro, in 2013 the water after treatment for public supply presented fluoride concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 1.67 in mg / L1. Thus, it is wrong in a generic way stating that the presence of fluoride in water is essentially harmful to human health, independently of the observed concentration.
