A estrutura e o funcionamento do Conselho Municipal de Defesa do Meio Ambiente de Santa Maria - RS

Abstract

The article points out the creation, structure and operation of the Municipal Environment Defense Council of the City of Santa Maria in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Initially it was carried out a survey to find out about the legislation which rules the municipalization process of environmental management in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It turned out the regulation of the decentralization process of environmental management, which demands the establishment and continued operation of the Municipal Environment Defense Council as one of the requirements to qualify the cities for environmental licensing of the activities regarded as local impact. This way, af ter prior authorization from the State Department of Environment (SEMA), the city is able to perform the environmental licensing of activities considered as local impact. Continuing the work, there was an examination of the Municipal Environment Defense Council of Santa Maria - RS (CONDEMA), its structure and operation, seen from the perspective of internal actors. The general objective of this research was to reveal the perception of internal actors due to the structure and functioning of CONDEMA, which showed its acting in a decentralized environmental management. The specific objectives were to analyze the municipal legislation which rules the municipalization of environmental management in the stste of Rio Grande do Sul; point out the role of CONDEMA from the point of view of municipal legislation; describe the local environmental management in relation to creation and functioning of CONDEMA; and identify the perception of internal actors about the structure, representat ion and action of the Council.