Prologis Project Halted After Site Work Put Residents’ Homes At Risk

Residents of the area have been actively protesting against Prologis on social media, sending complaints to the company’s international accounts, sharing memes, and commenting on its posts. Civil lawsuits filed by locals have also contributed to the court-ordered suspension. 

One of the accusations involves alleged environmental crimes, such as failing to protect a spring and native vegetation in a Permanent Preservation Area (PPA). The lawsuits also highlight omissions by CETESB, São Paulo's environmental agency, and the city government in overseeing the project.   

TRANSLATION: The images of the project's implementation show that the vegetation surrounding the watercourse, creek, is virtually nonexistent, and there is no information regarding the preservation of the springs. The project area includes a Permanent Preservation Area (APP) that was not preserved! The area also contained native vegetation in various stages of recovery. Despite this, and seemingly in an illegal and possibly criminal manner, CETESB authorized the removal of this native vegetation, which, shortly before, had been classified by the urban zoning of the municipality of Cotia as an "environmental interest area" due to its springs and watercourse, of ecological significance.

Exclusive documents obtained by REsource reveal abnormal sediment buildup in lakes and streams near the development. In a report dated August 9, a municipal inspector from Carapicuíba warned of potential flooding and wall collapses affecting properties on Rua Estados Unidos, caused by the siltation of a creek bordering the development.

“I found that a project is being developed in Cotia by Prologis Brasil, near the Recanto Inpla border. However, this construction may lead to flooding and wall collapses for properties on Rua Estados Unidos, as the bordering creek has become silted, and increased water flow will spill over into these homes. Therefore, it is necessary to review the project and permits granted by Cotia’s city hall,” stated the inspector from Carapicuíba, a neighboring municipality. 

The owners of one of the most affected homes, whose wall was compromised, hired an engineering firm for a technical report. The findings indicated that the measures taken by Prologis were inadequate.   

Although the company built a relief well and a retaining wall, the report found the well to be poorly designed and the wall unsuitable for the terrain. Additionally, it stated that Prologis failed to comply with ABNT (Brazilian Technical Standards Association) guidelines, with over 80% of the slope stability rules unmet.   

The report concluded that Prologis neglected essential safety protocols, and the applied containment methods were inefficient.

When contacted by REsource, Prologis legal representatives stated that the project complies with all regulations and that the issues were caused by an "exceptional volume of rainfall," adding that the impacts were "minimal." 

“Despite the project’s high drainage standards, extreme weather events can cause damage even in meticulously planned developments. The observed impacts are minor, occurring in an isolated point of an 800,000 m² area,” said. 

The owner stated that only one residence was affected and that all preventive measures are being taken. 

“We would like to clarify that only one residence was impacted. Unfortunately, the homeowner has refused our outreach efforts to discuss an appropriate solution. We remain fully committed to addressing these issues promptly. All preventive measures have already been implemented to ensure the safety and integrity of the area,” added.

*Updated on December 2, 2024