MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2018) The Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) environmental watchdog rejected the bid of the French energy company Total to receive a license to drill at five blocks near the mouth of the Amazon river, media reported.
The watchdog had pointed to a number of technical issues related to Total's emergency planning and possible threats to marine biodiversity, the Globo news outlet reported.
Environmental activists have repeatedly warned against drilling in the area.
In one of the most recent cases in April, Greenpeace issued a report saying that the activists had discovered a unique coral reef near the mouth of Amazon where Total planned to drill as part of the Foz do Amazonas project.
The publication was followed by the rejection by IBAMA of Total's application for a license to conduct drilling in the Foz do Amazonas basin.
