Following the sound of waterfalls, a hidden stream in the dense forest near a gravel road in the rugged area of Juquitiba, a city in São Paulo about 60 km from the capital, has become the focus of attention. A multinational mining company's employees have been knocking on the doors of farms seeking permission to collect soil and water samples.
According to residents and local public officials, they are investigating the presence of lithium, a sought-after metal used in the manufacturing of batteries for cell phones and electric cars. The Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto has obtained authorization from the National Mining Agency to conduct research in a 20-square-kilometer area between the municipalities of Juquitiba, Ibiúna, and São Lourenço da Serra, on the border between the metropolitan regions of São Paulo and Sorocaba.
In São Lourenço da Serra, permission for the search has also been granted by Cetesb, the environmental company of the São Paulo state government. Federal and state authorities claim that there is no impact during the research stage. However, environmentalists, mining experts, landowners, and local governments express concern about the mining company's incursions into the region.