Oil drilling project near mouth of Amazon River rejected by Brazil’s environmental regulator

By DAVID BILLER
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s environmental regulator has refused to grant a license for a controversial offshore oil drilling project near the mouth of the Amazon River, prompting celebration from environmentalists who had warned of its potential impact. The agency’s president highlighted environmental concerns in announcing Wednesday’s decision to reject the state-run oil company Petrobras’ request to drill the FZA-M-59 block. The unique and biodiverse area is home to little-studied swaths of mangroves and a coral reef. Activists and experts had said that the project risked leaks that imperiled the sensitive environment.