Public defender calls for closure of landfill in Iranduba where fire lasts for five days

Fire at the landfill: fire persists and exposes irregularities in Iranduba The Public Defender's Office of the State of Amazonas (DPE-AM) asked the Court for the interdiction and definitive closure of the Iranduba landfill, in the Metropolitan Region of Manaus. The place was hit by a fire on Thursday (13) and continues to have fires until this Tuesday (18). The public civil action was filed by the Public Defender's Office after years of complaints about environmental and health problems caused by the dump, located in Ramal do Creuza, at km 6 of the municipality. According to the institution, the fire had previously been identified as a potential risk. According to the most recent update, released by the Fire Department this Tuesday, the fire remains confined within the landfill area, which is approximately 40 thousand square meters. Around 500,000 liters of water were used to control the fire. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp In addition to firefighting vehicles, firefighters use a drone to map the affected area, a backhoe and other equipment. Iranduba City Hall also provided an excavator, water trucks and bucket trucks to reinforce the work. Firefighters continue to fight fires at landfills in Amazonas. Disclosure/CBMAM Dump that caught fire in Iranduba was already accumulating fines and environmental irregularities, says Ipaam Ipaam fines Iranduba City Hall of R$ 2.5 million for burning waste in the open during a fire at the dump Request for interdiction In the action, the Public Defender's Office asks the Court to order the immediate closure of the dump and the definitive end of activities. If the request is accepted, Iranduba City Hall will have 30 days to comply with the measure and present an emergency plan for solid waste management. The institution also asks the municipality to present a provisional solution for the disposal of waste, such as hiring a licensed landfill or creating a transshipment station to send the waste to a suitable destination. The Defender's Office also requests the preparation and execution of a Degraded Area Recovery Plan (PRAD), within 120 days. The request provides for a daily fine of 1% of the value of the case, which is R$12 million, in case of non-compliance with the measures determined by the Court. Residents have been denouncing the site for years According to the Public Defender's Office, residents of the region have been denouncing problems related to the dump for years, such as pollution of air, soil and water resources, in addition to the emergence of diseases associated with the site's hygiene and health conditions. According to public defender Carlos Almeida, head of the Specialized in Collective Rights Assistance (DPEIC), the institution has been trying to solve the problem since 2023 through dialogue and extrajudicial measures. According to him, the lack of collaboration from the municipal public authorities contributed to the worsening of the situation. “The fire that happened last week had already been warned as a potential risk by the Public Defender's Office in previous reports. In view of this last fact, we are requesting the immediate granting of the injunction in order to determine the closure of this dump, in addition to emergency measures, which should have already been carried out", he stated. Smoke from fire in dump worries residents of Iranduba: 'It could cause more serious problems' The Public Defender's Office also states that the existence of open dumps contradicts the National Solid Waste Policy (Law No. 12,305/2010), which prohibits this form The action also asks the municipality to encourage and formalize cooperatives of recyclable material collectors. The proposal provides for the provision of infrastructure for waste sorting and the inclusion of these workers in the formal recycling chain. through the State Attorney General's Office (PGE-AM), and the Amazonas Environmental Protection Institute (Ipaam) were summoned to comment on the process.