José Francisco do Prado Filho

Environmental management in small mining enterprises: comparative analysis of three Brazilian cases through the lenses of ISO 14001

A norma voluntaria de Sistema de Gestao Ambiental ISO 14001:2004 e pouco adotada entre pequenas empresas, apesar dos varios beneficios ambientais e operacionais que a norma pode trazer. Diversos autores tem incentivado pesquisas sobre as particularidades dessas organizacoes, de modo a identificar fatores que possam incentiva-las a aprimorar seus sistemas gerenciais. Esse trabalho contribui para essa demanda, ao analisar os desafios ambientais e os niveis de atendimento a ISO 140001:2004 de tres empresas mineradoras de pequeno porte localizadas em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Os dados para analise foram obtidos a partir da aplicacao de um questionario e de uma lista de verificacao baseada na ISO 14001:2004. A analise dos dados mostrou niveis relativamente baixos de atendimento aos requisitos de sistemas de gestao ambiental proativos. As tres empresas obtiveram, na lista de verificacao, indices de 8%, 46% e 56% de atendimento a norma. Ao analisar a estrategia ambiental das empresas, foi identificado que duas das empresas lidam com desafios ambientais de maneira predominantemente reativa, enquanto a outra apresenta uma abordagem ambiental mais proativa. A partir dos resultados obtidos, e possivel concluir que as empresas estudadas desconhecem a magnitude dos impactos que provocam no meio ambiente e, possivelmente, devido a esse fato, acabam desenvolvendo sistemas ambientais simplistas. O artigo conclui acentuando o valor de se aprimorarem sistemas de gestao ambiental em pequenas mineradoras.

Valoração econômica da área de proteção ambiental estadual da Cachoeira das Andorinhas - MG

RESUMO – A valoracao economica dos ativos ambientais e importante criterio que subsidia a tomada de decisoes na definicao de politicas que gerenciam os recursos naturais. Nesse sentido, buscou-se valorar a Area de Protecao Ambiental Estadual da Cachoeira das Andorinhas (APAE/CA), importante Unidade de Conservacao do Municipio de Ouro Preto, MG, com 18.700 ha de extensao. Apesar de possuir importante patrimonio natural, tal ativo ambiental possui areas degradadas, alem de ainda nao ter o respaldo necessario dos orgaos gestores para o seu efetivo manejo. Como area de estudo, definiu-se a sub-bacia do Rio das Velhas, na qual a APAE/CA esta inserida, abrangendo distritos localizados em Ouro Preto e Itabirito. Utilizando a Valoracao Contingente, atraves da abordagem de Hanemann (1984) e do metodo do bootstrapping, obteve-se a disposicao a pagar (DAP) mensal mediana por habitante dos distritos envolvidos pela melhoria e preservacao da APAE/CA de R

Análise temporal da flora nativa no entorno de unidades de conservação: APA Cachoeira das Andorinhas e FLOE Uaimii, Ouro Preto, MG

15,43. O valor economico calculado para o ativo ambiental foi de R

CLEANER PRODUCTION IMPLEMENTATION IN THE TEXTILE SECTOR: THE CASE OF A MEDIUM-SIZED INDUSTRY IN MINAS GERAIS

10.398.030,12, representando os beneficios anuais fornecidos pela APAE/CA e que sao percebidos pelos entrevistados. Conjuntamente com a valoracao, utilizaram-se variaveis de percepcao ambiental, a fim de verificar seu impacto sobre a DAP em estudo. Os resultados encontrados apontaram que a percepcao e a valoracao ambiental sao positivamente correlacionadas. Palavras-chave: APA Estadual da Cachoeira das Andorinhas, Metodo de Valoracao Contingente, Disposicao a Pagar. ECONOMIC VALUATION OF THE STATE ENVIRONMENT AL PROTECTION AREA OF CACHOEIRA DAS ANDORINHAS - MG

Um esquecido marco do saneamento no Brasil: o sistema de águas e esgotos de Ouro Preto (1887-1890)

The increasing fragmentation of the landscapes has contributed for the loss of the biological diversity in many Brazilian regions. In most cases, this is due to the disordered manner in which man has been using and occupying lands. The creation of protected areas or conservation units (UC) has been one of the main mechanisms used for the protection of biodiversity (in situ), in addition to commit wider objectives as for example the protection of the hydro resources, of threatened species, genetic resources, degree of endemism, habitats, among others. However, it is necessary the existence of periodic evaluation tools of its conservation status aiming at suppling subsidies to management plans by identifying the potential threats to the ecological functionality of these protected areas. Based on thematic maps of soil cover classification, elaborated for the years 1989 to 2008, with the purpose of analyzing the changes in the study area in this very period, the present work quantified the dynamics of the native flora in the interior and surroundings of the Area de Protecao Ambiental Estadual Cachoeira das Andorinhas and Floresta Estadual do Uaimii, located in Ouro Preto (MG). The results show that throughout the 19 years of comparison, the area occupied by the native flora remained the same with indices of 82 to 83% inside the UCs and 74% in its surroundings. With the results of the fragmentation, it is possible to identify the most critical areas or the greatest anthropic pressure and to direct specific programs, in the management scope, to minimize them.

Um Importante Episódio na História da Gestão dos Recursos Hídricos no Brasil: O Controle da Coroa Portuguesa Sobre o Uso da Água nas Minas de Ouro Coloniais

Textile industries have been increasingly adopting cleaner production strategies, particularly in developed countries. In Brazil and globally, there are arguably few publications addressing this phenomenon. This study aimed at understanding the extent to which industries from textile sector implement cleaner production strategies, based on the empirical analysis of a particular medium-sized industry in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A checklist of cleaner production opportunities, drawn from the literature, was analyzed in the context of the selected industry. Data were collected through interviews and field surveys. This study identified cleaner production opportunities for textiles industries and pointed out a number most viable actions. The study also identified that cleaner production can work as an effective environmental management framework for medium-sized industries. However, depending on the particular aspects of each industry, cleaner production actions may be perceived as technically and economically unviable. In the particular case study, the most implemented actions were those that required lower investments and that were not technically demanding. Results suggest that cleaner production can drive proactive environmental efforts, resulting in technological and economic benefits. However, results also suggest that such benefits may not be easily obtained, particularly in the context of industries with out-of-date technological processes.

CARTOGRAFIA E DIAGNÓSTICO GEOAMBIENTAL APLICADOS AO ORDENAMENTO TERRITORIAL DO MUNICÍPIO DE MARIANA – MG

This article resurrects, contextualizes and characterizes the water and sewage system of Ouro Preto, created at the end of the 1880s in response to sanitary problems and the need to modernize the old capital of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. Based on documentary research undertaken in public archives, bibliographical reviews, interviews and field inspections, the text corrects mistakes regarding the authorship and construction date of the system. The need to restore the hundred year old sewage treatment station is emphasized, given its relevance in the history of Brazilian sanitation. Today, in contrast with the past, the city of Ouro Preto discharges its sewage in natura into the streams that gave it gold.