Brazil: New environmental protections increase cost of huge Amazon dam by $2 billion

Brazil: Cost of Amazon dam jumps $2B

RIO DE JANEIRO — Officials say the cost of building a huge dam in Brazil’s Amazon has jumped $2 billion because of new environmental protections.

The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on a tributary of the Amazon river will be the world’s third largest.

Environmentalists are sharply opposed to its construction. They say it will devastate wildlife and the livelihoods of 40,000 people in the area to be flooded.

Brazil’s environmental protection agency gave preliminary approval to the dam last month, but added several additional environmental regulations that must be followed.

Energy Minister Edison Lobao said Thursday those will raise the cost from $9 billion to $11 billion.