Vale and BHP will have to deposit BRL 10.3 billion for Mariana (MG) – 03/31/2023 – Cotidiano

The Federal Court in Minas Gerais determined this Thursday (30) that mining companies Vale and BHP Billiton make a judicial deposit of R$ 10.340 billion, an amount that will be applied in the recovery of five cities in Espírito Santo affected by the rupture of the Fundão dam, owned by Samarco (joint venture formed by the two mining companies), which took place in 2015 in Mariana (MG). Appeal is possible.

The mining companies Vale and BHP and also the Renova Foundation, in charge of recovering the damage caused by the tragedy, said they had not been notified. The Espírito Santo municipalities included in the decision are São Mateus, Linhares, Aracruz, Conceição da Barra and Serra.

The collapse of Samarco’s Fundão dam killed 19 people and left a trail of environmental destruction between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The iron ore tailings that leaked from the dam reached the Doce River, which begins in Minas and flows into the coast of Espírito Santo.

Cities along this route are included in recovery programs. The five listed in the decision, however, were out.

According to the coordinator of the Samarco case task force, prosecutor Carlos Bruno Ferreira da Silva, from the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) in Minas Gerais, over time it was confirmed, through studies, that these cities were also affected.

As they were not initially included, there was rejection by the companies to place them among the affected municipalities, which ended up generating the legal dispute.

The request for inclusion was made by the federal and state Public Ministries and Public Defenders of Minas and Espírito Santo. The amount of R$ 10.340 billion was closed based on studies contracted by the plaintiffs.

The decision, despite involving municipalities in Espírito Santo, was taken in Minas because there is a position of the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) that all actions related to the tragedy in Mariana are in charge of the federal Justice in the state.

Attorney Carlos Bruno stated that the resources should be deposited in an account in court so that, later, representatives of the Public Prosecutions Offices and defenders can analyze which projects will be allocated, such as environmental recovery and public equipment, such as sewage networks.

The MPF representative classified the decision as significant as it involved both mining companies. “Condemning Samarco is no use. It has to be Vale and BHP, companies that have economic power”, he said.

The two mining companies, in addition to claiming that they were not notified of the decision, cited figures relating to investments after the tragedy.

“Vale was not notified of the decision and will manifest itself in due time in the process. The company reinforces its commitment to full repair of the damage caused by the rupture of the Fundão dam, making reparation measures in favor of society possible. By January 2023, they have already been more than 410,800 people were compensated, with more than BRL 28.42 billion allocated to actions carried out by the Renova Foundation”, said Vale.

“BHP Brasil informs that it has not yet been notified of this decision and that it continues to work closely with Samarco and Vale to support the programs implemented by the Renova Foundation. people, with more than BRL 28.42 billion allocated to actions carried out by the Renova Foundation”, said BHP.

Renova only stated that it had not been notified of the decision.