Entre a memória e o esquecimento: registro da subsidência do solo no bairro do Pinheiro em Maceió-AL

Abstract

Located in the third administrative region of Maceió/AL, the Pinheiro neighborhood was home to homes, businesses, hospitals, schools, and several other activities for many years. In March 2018, an earthquake rated at 2.4 on the Richter scale was recorded by stations of the Brazilian Seismographic Network and reported by residents of the neighborhood and surrounding area. The earthquake occurred as a result of excessive exploration of rock salt by the mining company Braskem and affected 5 (five) neighborhoods (Farol, Mutange, Bom Parto, Bebedouro, and Pinheiro), causing the appearance and intensification of cracks in the region, compromising the structure of buildings and making the use of streets and sidewalks unfeasible, which resulted in the forced removal of the population. In May 2023, the Environmental Impact Report (RIMA) detailed the demolition of the affected buildings and the introduction of vegetation cover in the area, leaving behind everything that Pinheiro once was, as well as traces of soil subsidence. This study aims to propose Urban Guidelines for the area of the Pinheiro neighborhood directly affected by the environmental crime committed by the Braskem mining company in Maceió, Alagoas. The methodology includes four main stages: understanding the subsidence process, discussing the concepts of memory and forgetting, analyzing the memories associated with the neighborhood before and after the environmental crime, and developing urban guidelines. Data were collected through news reports, official documents, and statements from residents, analyzed chronologically to understand the impacts of the crime and the actions needed to preserve the emotional and physical memory of the place. This study seeks to reflect on traumatic and painful events that impact the actions to preserve sensitive memory and to record the physical and emotional marks of the subsidence process caused by the Braskem crime. The proposed guidelines aim not only to recover the urban space, but also to value the experiences and identities of former residents of Pinheiro. This research resulted in a timeline of environmental crime, a collection of reports on the scenario before and after the crime and three urban guidelines: DU1) Promotion of sustainable urban development; DU2) Decent and inclusive housing; DU3) Materialization of collective memory. Remembrance is not just a symbolic necessity, but an essential tool for building a future that respects the past. Therefore, the discussion provided in this work is a crucial step in ensuring that the marks left by the Braskem crime are not erased, but rather recognized as part of the city's history.