Analysis of public positions on the social license to operate of the Guaíba Mine

Abstract

This work analyses how the theme of the Social License to Operate (LSO) appears in public positions made about the Mina Guaíba project. To do so, it presents the history of the project until its archiving in the licensing system of the State Foundation for Environmental Protection of Rio Grande do Sul. As an object of analysis, 44 public positions referring to the Guaíba Mine were selected, 36 of which are present in texts on internet portals and 8 published in academic works. The positions were analysed according to elements found in the literature, drawing parallels with the exposed positions and the facts described about the Guaíba Mine. It was possible to conclude that there are important relationships between public positions on the Guaíba Mine project and the issues analysed in empirical studies about Social License to Operate. Problems such as rhetorical economicism  in favour of enterprises, manipulation of consultation spaces, omissions regarding the real environmental impacts of projects and the crisis of confidence experienced by the mining sector are constant in both cases.