The pollution of Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay "is one of the biggest worries" of the 2016 Olympics, according to LANCEPRESS. To "solve" the problem, the Rio de Janeiro state government "called for an emergency contract." Without bidding, it "made a deal" worth R$20M ($6.2M) with sailing and environmental education program, the Rumo Náutico Foundation to "take over the removal of trash from the bay." The agreement foresees the non governmental organization "constructing new barriers to block trash that arrives to the Guanabara from rivers." In addition, Rumo Náutico will be responsible for circulating "equipped boats to collect floating objects in the water." To "justify" the action, Rio's environment secretary André Corrêa claimed that "nobody knows the Guanabara" like environmental engineer and Rumo Náutico founder Axel Grael. Corrêa added that he "completely trusts" Grael (LANCEPRESS, 3/27). In São Paulo, Leonardo Filipo reported the contracting of Rumo Náutico "was made with urgency." Rumo Náutico Assistant Manager Joana Dutra said, "The foundation is not going in with the perspective of cleaning up the Bay. It's a management project for the ecobarriers and ecoboats. The foundation has an expertise in monitoring the Bay's currents. We will help in that sense; the ecoboats already exist, we will only intelligently manage them. It's a contribution to minimize the effects of the trash on the Olympic lane in an urgent manner, because the test events are already in August. We don't have the intention of cleaning up the Bay." Five new ecobarriers "will be installed at the openings of four rivers directed toward the Olympic lanes." After the test events in August, "more than ten rivers will receive the [same] equipment" (GLOBO ESPORTE, 3/27).
