Justice orders Eletrobras to present internal documents on the blackout on the 15th

The Justice of Rio de Janeiro accepted a representation of workers from energy companies to have access to 16 Eletrobras documents related to the blackout of August 15th that left 25 states and the Federal District without electricity. The request was presented by the Union of Workers of Energy Companies of Rio de Janeiro and Region (Sintergia-RJ).

According to the decision taken on the 17th and released this Monday (28) by Judge Cláudio Olímpio de Carvalho, of the Regional Labor Court of the 1st Region (TRT-1), the company has a period of 10 days to comply with the court order.

“[Determinou que] the company Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras SA was summoned by order to display the documents required by the union, in order, according to the applicant, to verify possible violations in the health and safety measures of the category represented”, said the TRT-1 in a statement to People’s Gazette.

Maximiliano Garcez and Diego Bochnie, lawyers for Sintergia-RJ, stated that the decision allows wide access to all the company’s internal documents that may clarify possible responsibility for the blackout.

In the petition accepted by the Rio court, Sintergia-RJ also requests information such as the number of work safety engineers, internal prevention training and the total number of employees after the implementation of the Eletrobras Voluntary Dismissal Plan (PDV).

Last Friday (25), the National System Operator informed that there was a failure in the transmission line of Eletrobras Quixadá-Fortaleza II, and that the nearby power plants presented a “below-than-expected performance” in voltage regulation.

The inadequate functioning of the voltage resulted in the blackout that left 29 million people without electricity.

A People’s Gazette contacted Eletrobras to comment on the decision and awaits response.

Last week, the Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) informed that an audit is underway to assess the government’s responsibility for the blackout. The analysis refines the planning for the expansion of transmission lines and substations, and verifies that the works are carried out in a balanced way to guarantee the security of the electric energy supply without the Brazilians having an increase in costs.

The Federal Police opened an investigation, also on Tuesday (22), to determine the causes of the blackout. “The investigation, which runs in secrecy, investigates the crimes of sabotage and attacks against the security of public utility services,” the corporation said in a statement.