Sustainable development and workers' health in the environmental impact assessment on oil refineries in Brazil

Abstract

This study performed a convergence analysis of the contents of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on oil refineries in Brazil with using the concept of sustainable development and workers' health. We first developed an indicator called degree of convergence, according to the categories: equity, intersectoriality, differentiated actions, participation, empowerment, and sustainability. These were analyzed in the environmental diagnosis, analysis of environmental impacts assessment, and mitigation measures, and compensation measures, using occupational health indicators as criteria for convergence according to indicators such as occupational health criteria for convergence in the following dimensions: incipient, insufficient, intermediate, or advanced. The degree of convergence of the EIA contents to sustainable development and workers' health were incipient (0 - 20) as compared to EIAs of Abreu e Lima Refinery and Petrochemical Complex of Rio de Janeiro. In EIA of Paulinia Refinery the convergence was insufficient (25-45%). Considering the degree of full convergence, EIA of Paulinia Refinery was insufficient (30%), followed by EIAs of Petrochemical Complex of Rio de Janeiro and Abreu e Lima Refinery which were incipient (13%, 23%). These results suggest the insertion of the sustainable development concept in the oil refinery EIAs, considering the worker's health perspective, as a strategy to control socioenvironmental risk, reaffirming the preventive character of the licensing process.