Contamination in a condominium in Campinas: MP launches investigation to investigate the banning of towers and environmental measures

Contamination in a condominium in Campinas reaches 25 years without a solution and residents complain The Public Ministry of the State of São Paulo (MP-SP) opened a civil inquiry to investigate the closure of towers and environmental measures related to the Parque Primavera Condominium, in the Mansões Santo Antônio neighborhood, in Campinas (SP). The site is contaminated with carcinogenic substances. The order was signed on Saturday (4) and released this Monday (6) by prosecutor Luciana Ribeiro Guimarães Viegas de Carvalho. The measure took place after a meeting on Friday, at the 12th Public Prosecutor's Office, in Campinas. The meeting was attended by representatives of the following bodies: Municipal Department of Justice (SMJ); Municipal Secretariat for Climate, Environment and Sustainability (Seclimas); Municipal Housing Secretariat (Sehab); Municipal Secretariat of Urban Planning and Development; Association of Owners of Mansões Santo Antônio (Apromasa); Management of the Parque Primavera Condominium. Even after the meeting, the promoter considered that there are issues to be investigated, such as the contradiction of only one of the three existing towers in the condominium being released for housing, in addition to neighboring developments being inhabited even with the existence of contamination. ? Click here to follow the g1 Campinas channel on WhatsApp. Apromasa would also have presented a remediation plan to the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb), which is awaiting approval from the state body. "Doubts still remain regarding the stage of the area's decontamination process, the reasons for maintaining restrictions on part of the project and the adequacy of the administrative measures adopted by the public bodies involved", Luciana pointed out. In a statement, Campinas City Hall said that it monitors external actions to recover the contaminated area and will continue to provide all information requested by the competent bodies, within the scope of its responsibilities. Cetesb informed that it will present the necessary clarifications in the process, in accordance with its legal responsibilities. “It is important to highlight that ‘Tower A’ remains closed only on its ground floor, and towers B and C are unfinished,” he added. Understand everything: how is the site contaminated by carcinogenic substances about to complete 25 years without a solution Meeting The meeting headed by the MP was motivated by a news report presented by apartment owners in the closed blocks. They allege unequal treatment from the city hall, as there are other condominiums around the contamination that have been released. The owners also dispute the municipal administration's claim that charges for decontamination projects or maintenance of a plant for extracting contaminating gases should be directed to Concima S. A. Construções Civis, the construction company responsible for the project and which had its bankruptcy declared by the Court in April 2022. The plant was inaugurated by the City of Campinas in June 2014 and is located in the basement of one of the condominium towers. The system consists of four engines, which are regulated using inverters, and pull gases and substances from the center of contamination. The plant is responsible for extracting gases from the center of contamination Estevão Mamedio Using pipes, the extracted content is taken to tanks with activated carbon, which retain the chlorinated ethanes and ethenes. After passing through the tanks, the already clean air is released into the atmosphere. Campinas City Hall was responsible for the plant until October 2020, when it was handed over to the condominium. However, the system has not worked for around two months due to two damaged inverters. The condominium claims it is unable to pay for the repairs. In a note, the Executive highlighted that the environmental liability arises from a private enterprise and the responsibility for its parts remains that of the construction company responsible for the subdivision. In fact, the municipality is taking legal action to seek reimbursement for public resources invested in the area. Civil inquiry Due to the need to deepen the investigations, the MP opened a civil inquiry and initially determined two steps: Cetesb must inform, within 15 days, about the status of the remediation plan presented by Apromasa. The statement must contain an analysis of the document, any pending technical requirements and the grounds for maintaining the ban on two condominium towers, given that "other projects in the same region have been released for occupation"; Seclimas must clarify, within 15 days, the situation of the gas extraction plant, the reasons for the stoppage, who is responsible for maintenance and operation and whether there is a plan to provide resources or adopt measures aimed at resuming operation. g1 had access to a summary, made by Cetesb, of the remediation plan presented by Apromasa. The proposal foresees decontamination in three stages: Study of the area and collection of data on contamination (soil air, soil and groundwater). The objective is to update the environmental situation; Collect samples to assess the extent of contamination and carry out a new Human Health Risk Assessment (ARSH) — in order to find out the impact of the environmental problem on the region's residents; Application of oxidizing agents to the soil to destroy contamination, implementation of an underground water capture system for treatment — the treated water is returned to the water table after the process —, location of wells where there may be a concentration of contaminating gases, expansion of the gas extraction system and use of thermal methods to destroy contaminants. The environmental company evaluated the document on February 26 of this year and gave an opinion, suggesting adjustments. However, so far, the plan has not been put into practice. What is the contamination and how did it start? Aerial image of the site and graph showing the extent of contamination Reproduction/Cetesb According to Cetesb, the substances, detected in October 2001, are chlorinated ethanes and ethenes, present in the soil, in soil vapors, groundwater and ambient air. These compounds are capable of causing cancer and evaporate easily. The origin of the contamination is attributed to the Proquima Produtos Químicos Ltda industry, which operated at the site between 1973 and 1996 and its main activities were the recovery of solvents and the manufacture of cleaning products. According to Cetesb, there is evidence that Proquima disposed of waste generated by the company in “sink pits”. In these wells, sewage infiltrated the soil and reached groundwater. Furthermore, on April 9, 1987, a fire broke out on the company's premises which caused chemical spills. The contamination extends over several blocks, even reaching the opposite bank of a stream between Rua Clóvis Teixeira and Rua José Luis de Camargo Moreira. Proquima later sold the site to Concima, which began construction of the condominium. Blocks B and C have been closed for 25 years by Cetesb Estevão Mamedio VIDEOS: everything about Campinas and the Region r See more news about the region on the g1 Campinas page