Fishermen report effects of fish mortality at APA Tanquã, in São Pedro. Usina São José S/A Açúcar e Álcool, identified as responsible for the mortality of tons of fish in the Piracicaba River on July 7, 2024, completely refused the agreement provided for by the Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC) with the Public Ministry (MP). Exactly two years ago, the direct dumping of agro-industrial waste into the Piracicaba River killed around 253,000 fish in a 70-kilometer stretch, reaching the Tanquã Area, known as the São Paulo mini-pantanal, in Piracicaba (SP). Among the commitments indicated in the draft TAC, it was expected that the plant would compensate fishermen in the Tanquã region with salaries and payments of R$10,000 for moral damages, repopulate the water source, carry out works, compensatory social actions, in addition to continuous environmental monitoring of the affected area. ????See the list of detailed actions provided for in the draft TAC, below. The environmental damage generated a fine of R$18 million, which was never paid, to Usina São José, in Rio das Pedras (SP). At the time, the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb) pointed to the location as the origin of the pollution that led to the animal deaths. The plant rejected the entire basis of the proposal, including the fines, adjustments and million-dollar compensation to fishermen and the environmental fund, and preferred to exercise its right to defense through legal means. After the TAC's refusal, the meeting between the MP, Cetesb and fishermen's representatives, scheduled for this Tuesday (7), was cancelled. g1 contacted the Plant's defense this Monday (6). In a statement, Usina São José states that "the decision not to celebrate the TAC at this time does not represent resistance to dialogue or the investigation of the facts". Check out the full note at the end of the report. Attempts at agreement ?In October 2025, a first version of the draft TAC had been written after a meeting with members of Usina São José, the Public Ministry, the municipalities involved, the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb) and affected fishermen. After the first draft of the TAC was made official, the Plant had 30 days to accept the content of each of the proposals and/or counter proposals. Fish deaths in the Piracicaba River: TAC under negotiation provides for environmental monitoring, repopulation of the Piracicaba River and compensation for fishermen Public Ministry/ Reproduction The Environmental Prosecutors (Gaema PCJ-Piracicaba), Ivan Carneiro Castanheiro and Alexandra Facciolli Martins, presented the initial guidelines for the TAC. According to the proposals, the São José Plant should: Eliminate future releases of effluents into the Piracicaba River completely Maintain safety structures (such as containment basins and strengthening slopes), in accordance with Cetesb technical standards; Carry out environmental repair works Implement a robust system of environmental studies and continuous monitoring for at least 10 years, extendable as necessary; Compensate fishermen; Carry out fish repopulation in the Piracicaba River, according to a project to be approved by the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb); Carry out compensatory actions, such as sanitation of the housing nucleus in the Tanquã neighborhood, revegetation of the banks of the Tanquã, actions in favor of the Management Plan for the Tanquã Environmental Protection Area – Rio Piracicaba Environmental Protection Area, as well as other actions in favor of improving environmental management by state and municipal public bodies; Plant suspected of dumping that killed tons of fish in the Piracicaba River returns to operation Environmental studies and technical monitoring Several lines of action were discussed to understand the extent and persistence of environmental damage: Chemical studies of sediments and biota Definition of sampling points upstream and downstream of bodies of water Collaboration with universities to ensure technical rigor in surveys and appropriate proposals Update of hydrological studies and mathematical modeling to predict dispersion of pollutants, including parameters such as transit time and oxygenation coefficient of water bodies A Cetesb suggested including clauses in the TAC for the installation of two automatic water quality monitoring stations and a new station at the mouth of the Corumbataí River Compensation and compensation for fishermen and municipalities Compensation for fishermen The compensation proposal presented by the fishermen's lawyers provides for: A monthly minimum wage for 10 years for each of the fishermen R$ 10,000.00 for individual moral damage R$ 4,665,059.74, as compensation for damages ecosystems and biodiversity, which will be converted into environmental actions Collective moral damages (due to landscape and tourist damage and the suffering of the population in general due to the environmental tragedy) The municipalities also presented surveys of emergency aid costs (such as distribution of basic food baskets), which will be included in the TAC negotiations Environmental and social compensatory measures In addition to compensation, environmental compensation actions and community engagement were discussed: Reforestation of 10% of the areas identified in the impacted section and 100% of the areas under the control of the Plant in Tijuco Preto Creation of a memorial on the environmental disaster Environmental education programs and a public transparency page on the progress of the TAC Possibility of allocating resources for sanitation projects in Tanquã, removal of macrophytes from Tanquã and support for needy riverside communities Formation of a management committee with the participation of the Public Ministry, Cetesb, Municipalities, representatives of fishermen, civil society and Usina São José, to monitor environmental actions, with biannual reports and continuous transparency, publishing data on the internet Mortality in the Tanquã APA is the highest recorded, according to fishermen Jefferson Souza/ EPTV Why did the plant refuse an agreement? According to official documents from the Public Prosecutor's Office, Usina São José's central points of disagreement were the following: Incompatibility with the facts - The company declared that the legal, technical and factual assumptions of the TAC were incompatible with its own understanding of what happened. Disagreement with the structure of the agreement - The divergence reached the basis of the proposed instrument, which made it impossible to present counterproposals or specific negotiations. Allegation of accidental and minor event - The plant argued that the leak was accidental and in small quantities, insufficient to cause fish deaths of that magnitude. Attempt to attribute the cause to algal blooms - The company attempted to justify the damage by comparing it to a previous event caused by algae, a thesis that was formally rejected by Cetesb due to the characteristics of concentrated industrial dumping identified in the water. Usina São José returned to operating in Rio das Pedras after regaining its operating license. Edijan Del Santo/EPTV Plant resumed operations in 2025 In July 2025, Usina São José resumed operations in Rio das Pedras (SP) after regaining its operating license. The company was fined R$18 million, but filed an appeal and had requests denied. Remember the case, below. ? Join the g1 Piracicaba WhatsApp channel Consulted by g1 in July 2026, Cetesb stated that negotiations to conclude the Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC) were still ongoing between the parties involved. "The most recent inspection carried out by the Company found that the establishment's activities remain at a standstill. At the same time, the fine imposed by Cetesb remains in judicial tax enforcement proceedings", he concluded in a note this Monday (6). Inferred appeals The Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb) informs that it has rejected all appeals from Usina São José in relation to the fine of R$ 18 million for the environmental damage caused to the Piracicaba River. Image in Cetesb report shows that pollutant left the plant and reached a river Reproduction/ Cetesb Fine was not paid One year after an environmental disaster killed 235,000 fish in an animal sanctuary on the Piracicaba River, the fine of R$ 18 million applied to Usina São José (USJ), identified by Cetesb as the origin of the pollutant that triggered the mortality, has not yet been paid. 'Undue and unfair' accusations In a note sent to g1 at the time of the fish mortality in 2024, Usina São José (USJ) reiterated that "the accusations of responsibility for the fish mortality incident that occurred on July 8, 2024 are undue and unfair", he said. The company pointed out that fish mortality is a chronic problem in the Piracica River basin resulting from the "poor historical and documented quality of water in the region, worsened by several existing and completely ignored local sources of pollution". Tanquã is considered an animal sanctuary Edijan Del Santo/ EPTV Regarding the refusal of the TAC, Usina São José states that it "reaffirms its commitment to environmental preservation, the sustainability of its operations and respect for the communities where it operates" and will remain at the disposal of the authorities, maintaining a collaborative stance. Read the document below. "Environmental protection has always been part of the company's activities, which adopts practices aimed at responsible production and compliance with environmental legislation. In relation to the investigations into the episode that occurred in the Piracicaba River, in July 2024, the company continues to collaborate fully with the competent authorities within the scope of the Civil Inquiry, providing all necessary clarifications in a transparent, agile and responsible manner", he stated. "During this procedure, the Plant received from the Public Ministry of the State of São Paulo (MP-SP) a proposal to conclude a Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC). After careful technical and legal analysis, the company concluded that the draft, in its current form, does not reflect its understanding of the facts, especially because part of the premises do not correspond to the company's technical and legal conclusions", he added. "The decision not to celebrate the TAC at this time does not represent resistance to dialogue or the investigation of the facts." "Usina São José reaffirms its understanding that it was not responsible for the environmental damage investigated, nor did it contribute, through action or omission, to its occurrence. The company trusts that the clarifications and technical elements presented during the procedure will demonstrate the absence of its responsibility and will contribute to the correct elucidation of the facts", he added. Thousands of dead fish in the Piracicaba River g1 X-ray of the disaster 253 thousand dead fish: The estimate is from Cetesb. By weight, the inspection agency estimates that there are at least 50 tons of fish. Zero oxygen level: Cetesb analyzes found a zero level of oxygen dissolved in water (DO) or close to zero, which makes it impossible for aquatic animals to survive. Strong odor, foam and dark water: among the characteristics in the water are a strong odor characteristic of organic industrial materials, dark color of the water and the presence of foam. 70 kilometers long: according to a Cetesb report, the fish mortality extended over a 70-kilometer stretch, from the mouth of Ribeirão Tijuco Preto to the Rio Piracicaba-Tanquã Environmental Protection Area (APA). 10 days long: Cetesb details that the effects of the polluting load on the Piracicaba River were noticed for around ten days. APA reached is equivalent to 14 thousand football fields: The Tanquã protection area, where the highest number of dead fish was recorded, occupies an area of ??14 thousand hectares, equivalent to 14 thousand football fields, in the cities of Anhembi, Botucatu, Dois Córregos, Piracicaba, Santa Maria da Serra and São Pedro, in the interior of São Paulo. Sanctuary has at least 735 species: according to Esalq/USP ecology professor Flávio Bertin Gandara, the Tanquã APA is an animal sanctuary because they find food and shelter to reproduce there. There are also more than 300 species of plants. 50 fishermen affected: Between Piracicaba and São Pedro, the fishing colony has registered just over 50 fishermen who depend on the river for a living, according to the group's representative. R$ 18 million in fine: in addition to taking into account water pollution and fish mortality, when calculating the fine, according to Cetesb, it was also considered that the company failed to report the occurrence and that there was damage to an environmental protection area. 9 years for recovery: according to environmental analyst Antonio Fernando Bruni Lucas, it will take up to nine years to recover the number of fish in the Piracicaba River. VIDEOS: everything about Piracicaba and the region See more news about the region on the g1 Piracicaba page.