First, the environmental regulatory system is quite decentralized. In contrast to the strong federal presence in Venezuela or Mexico, the Brazilian scheme relies heavily on the various state environmental agencies both to set local standards and to enforce national and state legislation. The federal regulations are generally only the baseline.
States can and often do regulate more stringently to account for local concerns.
The second noticeable feature is the fragmented nature of Brazil's environmental laws. Unlike Mexico, Brazil does not have a true framework law. And despite the proliferation of federal legislation, several important topics, such as hazardous waste, have thus far fallen through the cracks of federal law. A proposed consolidation of environmental law that the federal legislature and the MMA have been working on for the last few years would remedy the situation. Until that project has been successfully implemented, industry in Brazil is left to cope with the confusion.