The building of controversial dams on Madeira river, with serious effects in Bolivia and Brazil, is still controversial. A thousand fish died as a result of the works in Santo Antonio plants due to lack of oxygen.

The incident was reported by the Movement of Dam-Affected People (MAB), one of Brazil’s most representative social organizations. The attempts of saving the fish were carried out with incompetence by staff unprepared for this task, MAB said.

Besides exposing the lack of action by the corresponding authorities, the opposers to the megadam blamed private corporations that are taking part in the enterprise for the disaster, specifically MESA consortium, made up Furnas Centrales Eléctricas and Odebrecht, the constructor company under scrutiny.

“There was lack of oversight and lack of responsibility” MAB said in a document posted on Internet. The episode will end up in court. “The responsible for the environmental crime will be investigated by the Federal Prosecutor”, MAB said.

The groups that oppose the binational hydroelectric project claim that the project was presented as an “economic and social solution” for the people of Rondonia state, and as the best energy solution for the country, but reality proves otherwise.

The environmental damages are not new. In last December, the environmental authorities fined the responsible for the project because the works in Jirau plant killed eleven tons of fish.

And there is more. A few days ago, the Brazilian newspapers report that the clearing of 18 hectares of forest on the Madeira river banks led to a new fine, this fine to the consortium Energia Sustentable de Brasil (Enersus). They were planning on installing a warehouse to store work materials without authorization.