In a preliminary decision, the Federal Court authorized Usina Figueira and its branches to sell fuel ethanol directly to retail stations in the Araçatuba/SP region, without any type of penalty being applied by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP). The decision was made by federal judge Marco Aurelio Castrianni, from the 1st Federal Civil Court of São Paulo/SP.
According to the judge, with the current chaos in the country, caused by the truck drivers' strike, the risk of damage could reach unimaginable proportions. “It is public and well-known, for example, that doctors and other health professionals are unable to reach their workplaces or are difficult to reach. Lives are at risk, as there are people waiting for surgeries and other urgent care.”
Castrianni explains that ANP Resolution No. 43/2009 prohibits the ethanol producer from also being a fuel supplier for gas stations. “In short, the petitioner is not allowed to sell to retail outlets. Therefore, it is at risk to its own survival. But that's not all. There is an emergency situation in the country, of risk for the population that is lacking fuel and, consequently, also other goods and services essential for life”.
Finally, the judge concludes that the delay in resolving the case could make the specific situation of the plant and the population in general even worse.
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