Santo Antonio de Padua municipality has quarry as one of the main economic activities. However, the mining of minerals promotes a series of environmental impacts, besides the fact that some mining companies are located in Environmental Protected Areas (APP). This article aims to map, in Santo Antonio de Padua municipality the APPs and also to identify the mining companies that operate there. In order to map the APPs we have used ArcGisR of ESRI, aerial photographs at 1:10,000 scale and IBGE cartographic basis, at 1:50,000 scale. To define the APPs we have used the concepts of resolutions 302 and 303, both from 2002, of Conama. The APPs from the top of the hills, crests, slopes over 45o slope angle, springs and river banks were mapped. The APPs represent an area of 212.28 km², that corresponds to 34.78% of the municipality area. Thirty one quarry entreprises were found operating in APPs. The quarry carachteristics located on the top of the main crests, make this environment more favourable to the mineral explotation. The location of these quarry sites close to rivers and, consequently, in APPs is due to the great utilization of water for cutting the stones. Finally we suggest a revision on the APPS width of 30 meters, because in mountainous areas, an area larger than what is needed, is protected. Furthermore, there is the need to stablish quarry rules that do not cause a big environmental impact mainly on sprig APPs.
Permanent Preservation Area; GIS; Mining; Erosion
