Analysis of the evolution of environmental conflict in landfill located at Paraíba state, Brazil

Abstract

The Puxinanã Landfill site (ASP), in the Paraíba state, Brazil, has been the center of environmental conflicts since its installation, during operation and after deactivation. Several factors contributed to the outbreak of these conflicts, including: the lack of public participation in the environmental licensing of this enterprise; the unfavorable location of the landfill, a few meters from the main water source that supplies the municipality of Puxinanã-PB; the placement of the urban solid waste (RSU) of the city of Campina Grande-PB in ASP, with a population greater than Puxinanã’s in more than 30 (thirty) times. The conflict addressed in this study has been evaluated in two phases, before and after the closing of ASP, with consequent dumping of municipal solid waste (RSU) of Campina Grande and Puxinanã in the Campina Grande Landfill (ASCG), since July 2015. In this paper was analyzed the environmental conflict relative to the ASP after its deactivation, and consequent beginning of the ASCG operation, through the application of conflicts analysis methodologies, which helped on the understanding of the new tensions, coalitions between the players involved and the evolutions of this conflict. The results of the analysis converge to the following points: ASP deactivation is configured only as a partial solution of the conflict, in its first phase (2012 to mid-2015); the deactivation of the landfill without a closure plan of its activities and subsequent recovery of degraded areas has shown the fragility of environmental governance; the damage inflicted to the population of Puxinanã-PB, in function of the environmental liabilities created in the area and in the surroundings of the project location.