Health and environmental licensing: analysis of an Environmental Impact Study on oil wells in Northeast Brazil

The interrelation between health and the environment lies at the core of the environmental licensing process. Economic development impacts human health, as seen in the oil industry, known for pollution, illness, chemical spill accidents, and their implications for public health. This article presents the findings of research that analyzed the inclusion of human health in an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for oil well drilling in northeastern Brazil. Using a method that applied a matrix of health and environmental indicators categorized, systematized, and critically assessed, it found a lack of basic indicators for protecting, preventing, and mitigating health-related damages. The study concludes with an urgent call to include health monitoring in environmental licensing for areas subject to risks associated with the oil production chain. The method highlights the absence of public health considerations in the EIS and reaffirms the principles of Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS).