A new environmental code adopted by the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina has enraged green groups and prompted government watchdog agencies and Brazil’s environment minister to call on the federal attorney general to launch a constitutional challenge. The issue, as is often the case in Brazil’s environmental controversies, is land-clearing. On April 13, Santa Catarina State Governor Luiz Henrique da Silveira signed a revamped environmental code that covers issues ranging from solid waste disposal to environmental licensing. But the flashpoint is a provision that addresses a type of protected area aimed at preventing erosion—and appears to contradict the federal Forest Code. The so-called permanent protected areas (APPs) cover vegetation on riverbanks, in river headwaters, on hilltops and on slopes greater than 45... [Log in to read more]