Gas stations in Belém-PA: the environmental licensing and the risks of soil and groundwater contamination

Abstract

The environmental licensing process is a guarantee of a safe environment for polluting activities. The present work analyzed Belém-PA environmental license files for the gas station segment in association with urban land use and the shallow free aquifer, these factors can compromise environmental quality and risks to the public health. For this purpose, there was carried out a bibliographic research, as well as a survey of information in databases of the municipal, state, federal registry and fire department. Besides, it was concluded that the number of licensed gas stations does not match the reality, where 130 projects were identified. It was found that 33 gas stations, or 25%, meet the necessary licenses and 97 gas stations, or 75%, have some pending issues, showing the need for greater attention to the environmental licensing process, as well as the need to regularize the enterprises with some pending in licensing, to have adequate management control over such activity. Bearing in mind that this is a potential activity that causes environmental damage, it is often located within the urban areas and under conditions of shallow groundwater can compromise the quality of soil and groundwater, with risk to human health.

Investigação da contaminação do solo em área de posto de distribuição de combustíveis

“…A localização de postos de combustíveis, em geral, busca priorizar a facilidade de acesso pelo consumidor, o volume de tráfego de veículos, bem como a proximidade com outras atividades econômicas (Neves;Costa, 2008). No entanto, as edificações próximas são mais vulneráveis à contaminação decorrente das atividades desenvolvidas por esses empreendimentos (Souto;Penner, 2020). Portanto, a localização de postos de abastecimento em áreas residenciais é comum, mesmo representando maior risco de proliferação de um eventual passivo ambiental.…”

“…A contaminação do solo em postos de combustíveis pode ocorrer por vazamentos superficiais ou por vazamentos subterrâneos, e tanto a área de tancagem quanto a área de abastecimento oferecem riscos (Gandolfi;Potes, 2018). A contaminação pode decorrer de vazamentos dos tanques, problemas estruturais dos SASCs, falta de manutenção dos equipamentos, dentre outros (Souto;Penner, 2020).…”