SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF MINING AREAS IN REGARD TO ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIONS: A CASE STUDY FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF CAÇAPAVA, SP

Abstract

The Paraíba do Sul River Basin is an important sediment deposit, and this fact, coupled with its strategic location, makes the Paraíba Valley an important source of aggregates. The region has very specific and restrictive regulations on mineral extraction, which leads mining companies to make great efforts to comply with legal issues. Thus, this study aims to carry out a spatial analysis of sand mining pits in the municipality of Caçapava, in the state of São Paulo, concerning environmental legislation. The method used consisted of identifying and characterizing the mining areas in terms of legal issues using spatial analysis tools based on distance and intersection. The results show the presence of areas with non-compliance in terms of minimum distance from urbanized areas, incidence in environmental protection areas and floodplain zones. These facts, added to the already known environmental impacts caused by mining activities, aggravate the risks to water bodies and their surroundings. It is concluded that the proposed method is an important tool for constant monitoring of these areas and can help environmental inspection bodies make more assertive decisions.