Brazil’s mistakes in containing massive oil spill

For the past two months, the Northeast of Brazil has been battling a massive oil spill. Since the first reports, over 250 locations—and at least 14 conservation units—across 2,500 kilometers of the country’s coastal line have been affected. The main questions around the case remain unanswered, such as who is responsible, how much oil has been spilled, and where the oil comes from. Without those answers, it is also impossible to assess the extent of the environmental damage the disaster will cause in the future.

The region’s economy has also been hit hard. The government issued a decree forbidding lobster and shrimp fishing between November 1 and December 31, which is set to disrupt a production chain that involves fishermen, transportation companies, restaurants, and hotels. During this time, the federal administration will compensate local fishermen.

Almost as notable as the extent of the disaster—the widest-spread oil spill on Brazilian record—is the government’s response (or lack thereof). A new report by Brazil’s environmental agency (Ibama), released by Globo, lists a series of mistakes and screwups committed by the federal administration in dealing with the oil spill. The entire process was more improvised than it should have been—and federal officials have played a secondary role in the cleanup of shores, as Maria Martha Bruno reported.

The...