Sé mak bele emite Lisensa Ambientál ba petróleu no mineiru?

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Objetivu fundamentál Estadu nian mak atu: “proteje didi’ak meiu-ambiente no preserva nafatin riku-soin rai nian” (Artigu 6(f) husi Konstituisaun RDTL). Provisaun seluk husi Konstituisaun temi katak: “Estado tenke fó-sai buat ne’ebé mak sei halo atu defende natureza maibé sei hodi dezenvolve ninia ekonomia iha maneira sustentável” (Artigu 61.3), no “Aproveitamentu rekursu naturál sira tenke haree didi’ak mós ba ekilíbriu ekolójiku no sees husi destruisaun ba ekosistema sira” (Artigu 139.3).

Artigu 33.1(o) husi Dekretu-Lei 14/2018 de 17 Agostu, fó kompeténsia ba Ministériu Petróleu no Minerais (MPM, uluk MPRM) atu hala’o prosesu lisensamentu ambientál, no mós aprova lisensa ambientál sira, iha setór petróleu no mineiru. Kompeténsia seluk MPM nian ne’ebé temi iha Dekretu-Lei ne’e mak garante partisipasaun másimu husi Timor-Leste nia atividade iha setór petróleu no mineiru, no promove oportunidade sira iha setór ne’e atu atrai no asegura investimentu husi li’ur.

Ho liman ida MPM hetan tarefa atu maximiza dezenvolvimentu iha setór ida ne’e, no ho liman ida tan sira hetan kbiit atu prosesa dokumentu no fó lisensa ambientál  ba atividade projetu iha indústria estrativa ne’ebé sira rasik mak lidera. Husi perspectiva indústria nian, fó kompeténsia ne’e ba MPM bele habadak no asegura prosesu hodi atinje objetivu indústria nian ho lalais. Husi perspetiva ambientál, fó kompeténsia ne’e ba MPM posivelmente hamosu dezastre boot, inklui estraga rai, bee bele kontaminadu ho tóksiku no hafo’er anin. Ita tenke kuidadu no proteje ita-nia ambiente husi konflitu interese ida-ne’e.

Iha dékada ikus ne’e, MPM haboot, ho harii instituisaun boot oioin iha ninia kraik, inklui entidade reguladór (ANP-ANPM), kompañia nasionál ba mina no gas (TimorGAP), sentru peskiza jeolojiku (IPG), no kompañia nasionál foun ba mineiru (MT). MPM, ne’ebé reprezenta Governu Timor-Leste, mós promove no jere Inisiativa ba Transparénsia iha Indústria Estrativa (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative - EITI), ne’ebé foka ba transparénsia no boa governasaun tuir padraun internasionál. Aumenta tan entidade ba halo prosesu Lisensamentu ambientál ba projetu liga ho petróleu no mineiru viola prinsipiu báziku kona-ba boa governasaun, no mós hatudu ambisaun sektorál ne’ebé presiza kontrolu independente hodi proteje ita-nia ambiente.

Objetivu husi Lisensamentu Ambientál mak maneira importante Estadu nian atu asegura ita bele proteje ita nia ambiente nia kondisaun moos no saudavel agora no ba futuru jerasaun Timoroan sira nian.  Nudár ezemplu: molok governu halo konstrusaun ba dalan, aeroportu ka edifísiu boot ruma, no molok kompañia privadu halo fábrika, otél boot, planu turizmu iha foho ka tasi ibun, tuir lei sira tenke aprezenta sira-nia dokumentu projetu sira hodi iha avaliasaun hafoin hetan lisensa husi Autoridade Ambientál. Nune’e, Autoridade Ambientál bele kontrola prosesu dezenvolvimentu hodi asegura projetu sira la’o tuir planu ne’ebé di’ak, sustentável no minimiza impaktu negativu ba ema nia ambiente no moris.

Regulamentu ambientál iha ona ninia prinsípiu ne’ebé forte, mekanizmu no prosesu, hanesan bele hetan iha Lei Base ba Ambiente (Dekretu-Lei No. 26/2012) no Dekretu-Lei No. 5/2011 kona-ba Lisensamentu Ambientál. Lei sira ne’e define papél Autoridade Ambientál mak atu lidera prosedimentu sira liga ho Avaliasaun Impaktu Ambientál, halo Jestaun Ambientál no emite Lisensa Ambientál ba projetu sira - inklui iha setór petrolíferu no mineiru. Lei sira-ne’e, no diploma ministeriál sira ne’ebé komplementar, insiste tenke iha transparénsia no prinsipiu báziku ba boa governasaun, no ba projetu multi annual sira, inklui rekerimentu halo diálogu no planeamentu hamutuk ho komunidade lokál.

Hodi regulasaun ambientál ba projetu dezenvolvimentu boot sira bele la’o no sai efetivu, tenke lidera husi entidade ne’ebé independente no la’ós entidade ne’ebé promove no implementa projetu sira rasik. Nune’e bele asegura prosesu kontabilidade (checks and balances), transparénsia no asegura atu laiha intervensaun polítiku ba implementasaun lei sira ne’e tanba iha konflitu interese.

Diresaun Nasionál Kontrolu Poluisaun no Impaktu Ambientál (DNCPIA), iha Sekretáriadu Estadu ba Ambiente nia okos, mak Autoridade Ambientál atuál nian ho kompeténsia atu regula no lidera prosesu avaliasaun no prosesu aprova lisensa ambientál. La’o Hamutuk enkoraja Governu atu utiliza matenek, esperiénsia no kapasidade ne’ebé eziste ona iha Autoridade Ambientál, no hasoru limitasaun espesífiku sira tuir nesesidade. Nune’e bele asegura Lei Ambientál sira sei implementa loloos no sustentável.

Ita hotu depende ba rai, bee no ár Timor-Leste nian; hamutuk ita presiza defende no proteje ambiente ne’ebé furak no frajil ida ne’e. Ho razaun ida ne’e, ita hamutuk tenke ezije atu Governu hasai Artigu 33.1(o) husi Dekretu-Lei 14/2018.

Ita nia situasaun ambiente ohin loron presiza ema hotu nia atensaun no responsabilidade atu promove , no ami bolu ita-nia ukun-na’in sira iha Governu no iha Parlamentu no sidadaun hotu atu ko’alia maka’as kontra implikasaun sériu sira husi Artigu 33.1(o) Dekretu-Lei ne’e nian. Se la muda Dekretu-Lei ne’e, sei mosu konsekuénsia boot no aat ba ema nia moris no rikusoin natureza hotu ne’ebé ohin loron ita iha atu prezerva no kuidadu ba ita nia jerasaun futuru nian.

La’o Hamutuk nia karta ba Primeiru Ministru kona-ba asuntu ida-ne’e bele hetan iha ne’e.

Who should grant environmental licenses for mining and petroleum?

Liga ba artigu ne'e iha Tetum

One of the State’s fundamental objectives is: “to protect the environment and to preserve natural resources.” (Article 6(f) of the RDTL Constitution). The Constitution continues: “The State should promote actions aimed at protecting the environment and safeguarding the sustainable development of the economy” (Article 61.3), and “The exploitation of the natural resources shall preserve the ecological balance and prevent destruction of ecosystems.” (Article 139.3).

Article 33.1(o) of Decree-Law 14/2018 of 17 August assigns to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining (MPM, previously MPRM) the responsibility to carry out the environmental licensing process for petroleum and mining, including granting of licenses. This law also assigns MPM the tasks of guaranteeing maximum participation in Timor-Leste’s petroleum and mining sector activities and promoting sectoral opportunities by attracting and ensuring foreign investment.

With one hand MPM is meant to maximize growth in the sector, and with the other hand they are given the power to issue environmental licenses. From an industry perspective, having the MPM in charge would help to streamline and secure the process to meet industry goals.  From an environmental perspective, having the MPM in change could spell massive disaster, including the destruction of land, poisoning of water and polluting of air. We must protect our environment from this conflict of interest.

Over the last decade, the MPM has grown, and now has several large institutions under its umbrella, including a regulatory body (ANPM), a national oil company (TimorGAP), a geological research center (IPG), and a nascent national mining company (MT). MPM, representing the Timor-Leste Government, also promotes and manages the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), whose focus is on transparency at an international standard. To add environmental licensing responsibilities for petroleum and mining to this list not only violates basic principles of good governance; it points to sectoral ambitions which, for the sake of our environment, need independent control.

Environmental licensing is intended to guarantee sustainable use of our natural resources and to ensure a clean and healthy environment for current and future generations of Timorese people. For example, before the government builds a power plant, road, airport or large building, or before a private company builds a factory, oil well, refinery or tourist resort, they must, by law, present project documents, including an Environmental Impact Assessment and an Environment Management Plan, to the Environmental Authority. The Authority evaluates and suggests changes to these documents before it issues an environmental license, which is required before a major project can be built. In this way, the Environmental Authority can help ensure that large development projects are carried out properly, sustainably, and minimizing negative impacts on the environment and people’s lives.

Timor-Leste’s existing environmental regulations have strong principles, mechanisms and processes, as described in the Base Law on the Environment (Decree-Law 26/2012) and the Environmental Licensing Law (Decree-Law 5/2011).  These laws define the role of the Environmental Authority to lead procedures relating to environmental impact evaluations and issuing environmental licenses for development projects with significant environmental risks and impacts, including in the petroleum and mining sector. These laws and their complementary policies require transparency and basic principles of good governance, and for the largest projects, they require consultation and planning with the local community.

For environmental regulation of large development projects to be effective, it must be led by an independent entity, not one whose goals include the promotion and implementation of these same projects. This ensures accountability (checks and balances), transparency and shields against political interventions in the implementation of the law due to conflicts of interest.

The National Directorate for Pollution Control and Environmental Impact (DNCPIA), under the Secretary of State for the Environment, is the existing Environmental Authority with the mandate to regulate and lead the evaluation and approval process for environmental licensing. According to La’o Hamutuk’s observations, DNCPIA has the experience and technical skills to implement policies and laws related to environmental licensing. La’o Hamutuk encourages the Government to build on and invest in the knowledge, experience and technical skills which already exist within the Environmental Authority, and to address any specific limitations as needed. This will ensure proper and sustainable implementation of the environmental laws.

We all depend on Timor-Leste’s land, water and air; together, we must defend and protect this precious and fragile environment. For that reason, we must together insist that Article 33.1(o) be removed from Decree-Law 14/2018.

Our environment needs all the advocates it can get right now, and we call on decision makers in Government and Parliament and all citizens to raise your voice against the dangerous implications of article 33.1(o) of the Decree-Law.  If this Decree-Law is not changed, there will be huge and devastating consequences for people and the living things around us for many generations to come.

On 11 September, La’o Hamutuk wrote a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to reconsider this issue, which we also described in a press release.