This article presents a reflection on social practices around an environmental confl ict. It searches to identify and to describe the context of conflicting relations between social movement representing affected people on one side, and state-owned IBAMA (which stands for Brazilian Environment Institute) and CBA/NEC (private stakeholders) on the other, along the enduring environmental licensing process of the use of Tijuco Alto - SP hydroelectric potential. The writing is based on empirical and documental researches and has as theoretical concept the notion of Habermas' public sector structural changes. Our hypothesis is that democratization brings to light new social actors with new demands and that the licensing processes did not keep up with the increase of the social participation turns. A gap is seen between the experience of these social actors in the political participation turns, of deliberative nature and their actual experiences in environmental licensing processes.
Environmental licensing; Critical theory; Hidropowers; Social participation; Public participation turn