Página intencionalmente deixada em branco. ABSTRACT VERONEZ, F. A. Effectiveness of environmental impact assessment on Espírito Santo State (Brazil). 2018. 214 f. Tese (Doutorado) -Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, 2018.This thesis is investigating the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system which is implemented in Espírito Santo State (Brazil). I aim to fill a gap in existing critical literature, by bringing attention to empirical evidence in a long-term study of EIA practice. The effectiveness of the EIA system was analyzed by applying an analytical framework focusing on four dimensions: procedural, substantive, transitive and normative effectiveness. As for the methods used during the analysis, they are: survey, documentary analysis, case studies, expert consultation and interviews. Using a qualitative-quantitative approach, the research was supported by 47 decision-making processes, analyzing the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and documents submitted in a period of ten years (from 2007 to 2016). The results indicate that the EIA system proved to be punctually effective, although the negative results prevail. Elements of effectiveness and evidence of EIA influence on the projects with favorable results to the environment were identified, as well as elements of learning from the EIA practice that signal to the perspective of improvement of the EIA system. However, the results indicate weakness related to the absence of locational parameters for the screening of EIA processes. Regarding the quality analysis of EIS, the results indicate faults in the information presented in the decision-making step. The main fragilities are associated with the identification and evaluation of relevant impacts, consideration of cumulative impacts, the prediction of magnitude and the evaluation of the significance of the impacts. The previously-mentioned deficiencies of the EIS information are the main contributors to a longer processing time and to an increase in the costs which is due to the need for reanalysis of complementary documents. In addition, the environmental agency's analysts' opinion reveals a blurred perspective of EIA practice and regarding the role of the environmental agency. This obscure perspective suggests a passive and reactive positioning of actions and decisions within the environmental agency studied. Therefore, it is important to promote the valorization of the principles and foundations guiding the EIA in order to correct this perspective. Although the research findings suggest that EIA practice still has a long way to go in order to achieve effectiveness in the system studied, I identified evidence of best practice and weaknesses. This which can be used to guide actions aimed at enhancement of the EIA system as well as improvements of the development projects implemented in the State of Espírito Santo.

Artigo recebido em 28 de julho de 2017, versão final aceita em 14 de novembro de 2017. RESUMO:Tendo em vista a necessidade de evidências que orientem o aperfeiçoamento da prática da Avaliação de Impacto Ambiental (AIA) e considerando a escassez de trabalhos dessa natureza no contexto brasileiro, este trabalho tem como principal contribuição uma análise sistemática da qualidade de Estudos de Impacto Ambiental (EIA) submetidos ao processo de licenciamento ambiental. Deste modo, utilizou-se como objeto empírico de pesquisa o sistema de AIA do Estado do Espírito Santo, tendo sido analisados 21 EIAs submetidos entre 2007 e 2013, equivalente a 57% do total de estudos desse tipo encaminhados ao órgão licenciador no período. Os estudos contemplam projetos públicos e privados, englobando as atividades de petróleo e gás, usinas termoelétricas, portos, linhas de transmissão, pequenas centrais hidrelétricas, siderurgia, estradas, empreendimentos imobiliários e aterros sanitários. A análise de qualidade foi realizada conforme o modelo Lee and Colley Review Package, amplamente aplicado e reconhecido na literatura internacional. A análise dos resultados revela aspectos que devem ser aprimorados, uma vez que estão diretamente relacionados à efetividade da AIA praticada no Estado: a identificação e a avaliação de impactos relevantes, especialmente na associação entre o impacto determinado e a linha de base; a consideração de impactos cumulativos; a previsão de magnitude e a avaliação da significância dos impactos. Como pontos positivos, destacam-se a descrição do ambiente e a apresentação das informações. Ainda que os resultados indiquem semelhança com outros contextos, é possível afirmar que a qualidade da informação apresentada ao órgão licenciador é baixa, dificultando a sua análise e possivelmente contribuindo para uma baixa efetividade da AIA no Estado.Palavras-chave: avaliação de impacto ambiental; estudo de impacto ambiental; efetividade; instrumentos de política ambiental.

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Results from one year of experimental monitoring the wastewater treatment plant of UFES (Federal University of Espírito Santo) treating a residential urban area of city of Vitoria ES, Brazil, have shown a good performance by a UASB reactor as a part of domestic sewage treatment and also performing aerobic sludge thickening and digestion. The total solids concentration around 6% was obtained in main sludge blanket at bottom of reactor despite a high daily aerobic sludge load discharged from four aerobic submerged biofilters containing 0.4% TS and 80% of VS/TS. Similar values were found in another experimental period when the reactor was fed only with raw domestic sewage. The average removal efficiency of organic matter and suspended solids observed for domestic sewage treatment are around 63% of SS and 64% COD. These results were obtained in the UASB reactor working with or without aerobic sludge recycling, with constant or variable load and hydraulic detention time (HDT) less than 6 hours. A proposed mass balance allows a theoretical assessment of aerobic sludge digestion and accumulation into UASB reactor.