SOS Environment Line already registered occurrences reported by citizens

The SOS Environment line started operating on the early hour of January 2018. The Regional Directorate for the Environment registered the first occurrence on January 2 at 00.57 AM.

The occurrence reported by citizens residing on the island of Terceira concerns the disposal of agricultural waste in the village of Ribeirinha, municipality of Angra do Heroísmo. It was classified as "Little Urgent" and referred for further assessment.

All occurrences reported through this telephone line are classified according to their urgency.

In this context, level 1 is "Emergency" (situation requiring immediate intervention), level 2 is "Urgent" (situation requiring an intervention as soon as possible), level 3 is "Little Urgent" (a less complex situation that may have short-term consequences), and level 4 is "Non-Urgent" (a less complex situation that does not pose problems or consequences in the short-term).

Following the classification, the deadlines for replying to citizens are 5, 10, 20 and 30 days, respectively.

The SOS Environment Line is a permanent telephone service operated by the Government of the Azores. It is available through the telephone number 800 292 800 and operates 24/7 every day.

This new telephone line is a complement to the online service "On My Island," which may continue to be used through the Internet portal or mobile applications.

The SOS Environment line and "On My Island" service are intended for the reporting of occurrences in the areas of environmental quality, waste management, nature conservation, spatial planning and water resources, namely when possible violations of environmental legislation and spatial planning tools may be involved or situations that may pose risks to people, animals, nature and heritage.

With the implementation of the SOS Environment line, which is a toll-free number, the Government expects to increase civic participation in the monitoring and safeguarding of environmental and natural resources of the Region as well as to encourage an increasingly active environmental citizenship.