The removal of containers of chemical compounds from the Tocantins River will only begin after as a result of the collapse of the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge. The information was shared this Thursday (26) by Marcelo Neiva, Accident Assistance coordinator at the Brazilian Institute of the Environment (Ibama).
According to Neiva, as it requires care and strategy from responsible companies, the process of complete product withdrawal should not take less than 15 days.
“Removing these products from the river is not a quick process, it has to be done safely,” said Neiva. “At the moment, divers are working solely and exclusively to find the missing people, only then will the response team arrive. It’s not something that will be resolved in the blink of an eye,” he said.
Authorities have been holding, since the beginning of this afternoon, a virtual crisis room meeting that monitors the impacts of the bridge collapse. The accident occurred last Sunday (22), between the municipalities of Maranhão and Tocantins, and left at least eight dead and nine missing.
Bodies linked to the areas of health and the environment are discussing alternatives to guarantee the quality of the river’s water since, during the collapse, trucks with pesticides and sulfuric acid fell into the river. Preliminary analyzes indicate that, so far, there are no significant changes in the water and it remains safe for human use.
“What is being done very well is the monitoring of water for human consumption. It is this monitoring that can give peace of mind to the population. The removal of products will only begin after the missing ones are found”, stated the Ibama coordinator.
According to Marcelo, the three companies that transported chemical products were notified to present response plans. They will be responsible for planning the removal of products from the water.
Leak
According to the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA),. The likelihood of this occurring in the future is also considered very low.
However, if there is a leak, ANA states that the greatest risk is to the environment. According to the agency, preliminary studies showed that even if all products were released into the water simultaneously, contamination would not exceed the limits recommended by the Ministry of Health and they would still be suitable for human consumption.
However, until this is confirmed in practice – through studies of water samples in the event of a leak – the water supply to the population would have to be suspended.
Supply
During the meeting, the president of the Maranhão Environmental Sanitation Company (Caema), Marco Aurélio Freitas, asked that the products be removed “as soon as possible”.
“This perception from Ibama is important, but it is relevant for the states of Maranhão, Pará, Tocantins, to see the rescue of these products as soon as possible. Around 70% of our supply comes from the Tocantins River. Any suspension of capture, we have to prepare an emergency supply plan for the city with the federal and state control bodies”, he said.
Searches
Since Sunday, the Navy and the State Fire Department have been searching for the missing people who fell into the river when the bridge collapsed. So far, eight bodies have been found and nine are still missing.
On Tuesday (24), the Federal Police began an investigation to determine who was responsible for the collapse of the bridge. The investigations are carried out by the PF superintendencies in Maranhão and Tocantins, with the help of forensic experts.
The only victim rescued alive, so far, was Jairo Silva Rodrigues, 36 years old. He was found by members of the public with a broken leg and taken to Hospital Estreito, in Maranhão.
