Distribuição e caracterização espacial de barragens de rejeito nas áreas de mineração no estado do Amapá

Abstract

The State of Amapá, located in the north of Brazil, in the domains of the Brazilian Amazon, has been the scene of mineral extraction activities since the 1950s. The processing of ores, over these years, generated a production of tailings resulting in the construction of dikes for storage of this material, thus forming the tailings dams. The lack of adequate monitoring of these structures represents a major threat to society, the environment and also to the economy, as was demonstrated during the accidents in Mariana and Brumadinho, in the years 2015 and 2019, respectively. The situation becomes even more worrying with the absence of systematic information on existing dams, as is the case in the state of Amapá. This fact strengthens the need for actions that contribute to the knowledge and management of these areas. Geotechnologies are considered essential tools in providing knowledge to identify and monitor threats to the environment. The support of products derived from these technologies can contribute to the study of tailings dam areas. Thus, this research aims to collect and systematize information regarding dams in the state of Amapá using geotechnological tools. It was possible to map the spatial distribution of the tailings dam areas using remote sensing images (InSAR images) and auxiliary data. Spatial analyzes, based on criteria (proximity, crossing, intersection, density, etc.), were performed using information from the amapá continuous digital cartographic base project - BCDC-AP. The recovery, visualization and analysis of information about the dams and their surroundings, allowed identifying what can be affected in the event of a possible rupture. All information was organized and structured in a geographic database of dams. As a result, a general overview of the dams in the State of Amapá was generated, their real situation and the context in which they are found through the tools of geotechnologies.