Abstract The mining industry can be one of the most impacting human activities. In the southern region of Santa Catarina (Brazil), open pit coal mining has left an extensive environmental impact. Since there was no topsoil in the abandoned open pit sites, it is necessary to provide a substrate for vegetation growth. However, the selection of the best substrate between multiple options is difficult. Thus, a fuzzy logic-based model is proposed. The proposed model was compared to reference models and to experts’ knowledge. Statistical analysis and validation were carried out with a correlation coefficient, a Kappa coefficient, along with the Accuracy, Precision, Sensibility Specificity, F-Score and Mathews correlation coefficients. The data set used to assess the proposed model presented a wide range of data, but for values such as aluminum saturation, higher values were common. The fuzzy logic-based expert system presented better results when assessing the behavior of the defuzzified output values with the crisp input values. The fuzzy model also followed the trend of the reference models (with R2 between 0.3639 and 0.5250). The comparison to the experts’ opinion demonstrated that agreement comes easily with extreme values (such as not suitable and suitable). However, using a Winner-Takes-All approach, the proposed fuzzy model had high scores for suitable soils for land reclamation’s soil construction. The proposed model can be used to define the best substrate for land reclamation. Some improvements, such as different parameters and increases in the number of interviews rounds, should be also tested.

A valoração ambiental é uma técnica utilizada para mensurar o valor monetário de um recurso natural ou de um dano ambiental, normalmente empregada com o intuito de preservar um recurso ambiental ou em processos administrativos e judiciais visando ações indenizatórias. Várias são as metodologias utilizadas, sendo que a Metodologia do Fator Ambiental, do DEPRN e do Cardoso, são objeto deste trabalho, por terem maior afinidade com o ramo da engenharia e serem propensas a valorar o dano ambiental em questão, o aterramento de um banhado por um empreendimento imobiliário no município de Garopaba, Santa Catarina. A estimativa de custos para a recuperação do passivo ambiental foi realizada considerando a remoção do aterro, sua disposição final, a adubação e plantio de mudas em uma área de 10 hectares, resultando no valor de US$ 1.101.057,02. Por meio das metodologias de valoração do Fator Ambiental, do DEPRN e do Cardoso, obteve-se, respectivamente, os valores US$ 2.202.114,04; US$ 17.616.912,36 e US$ 33.031.694,00. Entre as metodologias aplicadas, todas não fornecem um valor diário, sendo que a do Fator Ambiental demonstrou ser a mais simples, não abordando especificamente os danos ambientais; a do Cardoso, em relação ao dano, somente considera a duração do mesmo, não levando em conta a frequência ou extensão; e a do DEPRN, mostrou ser a mais detalhada, não deixando margens para ambiguidade. Tais metodologias agregadas a técnicas de avaliação de impactos ambientais são importantes para a gestão pública dos recursos naturais.

Environmental valuation is a technique used to measure the monetary value of a natural resource or an environmental damage, usually used for the purpose of environmental resource protection or in administrative or judicial lawsuits aiming a monetary compensation. Various methodologies are used, but Environment Factor, Departamento Estadual de Proteção de Recursos Naturais (DEPRN - State Department of Natural Resources Protection) and Cardoso Methodologies are the objects of this work, as they have more affinity with the engineering field and are likely to valuate the environmental damage in question, the fill of a marsh by a real estate enterprise in the town of Garopaba, Santa Catarina State in Brazil. The cost estimation for the recovery of environmental liability was carried out considering fill removal, its final disposal, manuring and planting seedlings in 10 hectares, resulting in the value of US$1,101,057.02. According to valuation methodologies such as Environment Factor, DEPRN and Cardoso, it was obtained, respectively, the values of US$2,202,114.04, US$17,616,912.36, and US$33,031,694.00. Among the applied methodologies, the Environment Factor demonstrated to be the simplest, not specifically approaching environmental damages; Cardoso, in relation to the damage, only considers its duration, not taking into account its frequency or extent; and DEPRN showed to be the most suitable. These methodologies, along with the assessment of environmental impacts, are important tools for public management of natural resources.