MPRO vs Marli Matos de Oliveira and others (Autonomous climate damage and illegal deforestation in Machadinho do Oeste)

On June 17, 2026, the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Rondônia (MPRO) filed a Public Civil Action against Marli Matos de Oliveira, Angelica de Oliveira Quintino, and Luis Paulo Gonçalves Carvalho, regarding the deforestation of 1,271.535 hectares of native vegetation in the Amazon biome—equivalent to approximately 1,700 soccer fields—in three contiguous rural lots of Seringal Assunção, in the rural area of Machadinho D'Oeste (RO). The deforestation allegedly took place between 2020 and 2023.

It is alleged that, according to civil investigations initiated within the scope of IBAMA's "Operation Remote Control – P4," Defendants would be jointly and severally liable for the deforestation of native vegetation in the area in question. Respectively, deforestation of 407,708 hectares was evidenced in lot 5; 427,908 hectares in lot 7; and 435,919 hectares in lot 8. It should be noted that the process of destroying native vegetation through clear-cutting and continuous polygons, without any environmental authorization, over several years, and with the subsequent preparation of the land for agricultural activities, exposes a deliberately organized activity aimed at transforming land use, seeking to enable the productive exploitation of illegally deforested areas.

Furthermore, Plaintiff argues that, in accordance with the principle of full environmental reparation, the guidelines of the National Council of the Public Prosecutor's Office (CNMP), the valuation guide of the Brazilian Association of Members of the Public Prosecutor's Office for the Environment (ABRAMPA), and the methodology of the Special Environmental Action Group (GAEMA/MPRO), the multiple dimensions and implications of the observed damage must be considered—that is, not only the main, interim, and residual damage, but also (i) the collective moral environmental damage, due to the violation of fundamental principles, especially the diffuse right to an ecologically balanced environment, and (ii) the autonomous climate damage, due to the climatic impact of CO2 release and the decrease in the natural capacity for CO2 sequestration in the area. For the measurement and quantification of climate damage, based on an opinion from the Technical Analysis Center of the MPRO (Public Prosecutor's Office of Rondônia), the value of US$ 5 per ton of CO2 released is adopted, with an average stock of 550.5 tons of CO2 per hectare of Amazon rainforest. The three rural properties caused significant autonomous climate damage, estimated at US$ 3,499,695.34 and R$ 17,498,476.69. The material environmental damage was estimated at R$ 75,756,708.60.

Therefore, Plaintiffs requests, as a preliminary measure, the freezing of the defendants' assets, the cessation of any use or exploitation of the areas, and the maintenance of the IBAMA embargoes; and on the merits, their joint and several liability for environmental recovery obligations (PRAD), under penalty of equivalent compensation, and the payment of compensation for the various dimensions of environmental damage, including climate damage, totaling R$ 93,255,185.29.