A Brazilian federal appeals court ordered a halt to the construction of the controversial Belo Monte dam last week until indigenous groups can be properly consulted. Up to 12,000 construction workers were due to work on the project this year, and the dam, which is expected to power 23 million homes, is a key part of Brazil's plan to rely on renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. However, the dam plans were meant to have gone through an extensive environmental impact assessment, and the judges accepted a lower court's ruling that Congress acted illegally in authorizing construction without consulting indigenous groups. Last year, indigenous groups delivered a petition signed by half a million people opposing the dam, stating that as many as 50,000 indigenous people will lose their livelihoods and 16,000 will have to relocate as the dam inundates up to 190 square miles of rainforest. Norte Energia, the project developer, now faces fines of up to $250,000 a day if it continues construction. For the full story, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/16/belo-monte-dam-construction-suspended. Earlier: http://elr.info/international/international-update/brazil-court-lifts-dam-ban-0, http://elr.info/international/international-update/judge-halts-belo-monte-dam-construction.