USITC TRAVEL TO BRASILIA FOR COLLECTION OF DATA ON

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
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