Manaus Chemical Leak: Prosecutors Investigate Environmental Damage and Health Risks

The Public Prosecutor's Office of Amazonas (MPAM) has launched a civil inquiry into the environmental damage and public health risks stemming from a toxic gas leak at the Innova factory in Manaus. The leak, involving flammable and toxic styrene gas, occurred on July 15th at 5:36 PM in Unit IV of the company's industrial district facility. This incident was classified as a "chemical emergency" by the company after an abnormal temperature rise in a styrene monomer storage tank. The investigation, led by the 49th Prosecutor's Office for Environmental Protection, is requesting documents and technical reports from environmental agencies to assess the accident's impacts and the response measures taken. Specifically, the MPAM has asked the Amazon Institute of Environmental Protection (Ipaam) for information on the company's environmental licensing, the administrative procedures post-accident, and any inspection or monitoring reports. The Municipal Secretariat of Environment and Sustainability (Semmas) has also been requested to provide details on their case assessment and any technical evaluations of environmental or health risks. Ipaam has collected water samples from the factory and a nearby stream for laboratory analysis to determine potential environmental impacts. The Innova factory has accumulated over R$ 22.4 million in environmental fines from state and municipal bodies, including R$ 12.5 million from Ipaam for styrene leak violations and R$ 9.9 million from the Manaus Prefecture for air, soil, and water pollution. Additionally, the company faces a Sanitary Administrative Process (PAS) from Visa Manaus due to collective sanitary risks posed by styrene exposure, with a potential fine of up to R$ 61.1 thousand. The leak was contained after 41 hours, with the Amazonas Military Fire Brigade confirming zero styrene emissions by Sunday, July 19th. Experts from the Technical-Scientific Police Department conducted a forensic investigation to determine the incident's causes. The factory resumed operations after the emergency phase concluded, with Innova responsible for removing the affected tank and managing the resulting materials under environmental agency supervision. Over 648 individuals sought medical attention following the leak, with the Municipal Health Secretariat reporting that 67% of those attended had workplace exposure for an average of three hours. Respiratory problems were the most common symptom (78%), followed by skin alterations (20%). Two deaths are under investigation for potential links to styrene exposure. The State Health Secretariat reported 614 state-level attendances, with demand decreasing over the week and no patients currently hospitalized.