A Brazilian court lifted an order stopping construction of the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric plant on Thursday. The plant, which will be the world's third largest hydroelectric dam, is to be built in the Amazon rainforest, but a federal judge ordered construction suspended in February on the grounds that certain necessary environmental provisions had not yet been met. The dam has been met with heavy criticism due to its possible effects on wildlife and its potential impact on indigenous people around the Xingu river. In February, indigenous groups delivered a petition signed by half a million people opposing the dam to authorities, stating that up to 50,000 indigenous people will lose their livelihoods and at least 12,000 will have to be relocated. Some environmental groups expect the dam to inundate about 190 square miles of the rainforest, and a federal judge ordered construction stopped until all environmental precautions to avoid reduced water level were met. However, a higher court said that construction could continue without all conditions being met. Eventually, the dam is expected to power 23 million homes, but due to low water levels, it will run at 10 to 30 percent capacity for three to four months a year. The project is a key part of President Dilma Rousseff's energy infrastructure plan. For the full story, see http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/03/us-brazil-dam-idUSTRE7226VD20110303 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12643261. For the story on the petition, see http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0208-hance_belomonte.html.