Samarco Mineração News

Brazil Police Accuse Vale, Samarco of Environmental Crime for Mine Disaster

Brazil’s Federal Police accused Vale SA and its Brazilian joint venture with BHP Billiton Ltd of environmental crime related to a November dam collapse that destroyed a city in the country’s southeast and sent waves of toxic mud downstream into …

Brazil Mine Disaster Shows Value (and Harm) of Public Relations Responses

Within hours of a deadly mining spill in November that would become Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, BHP Chief Executive Andrew Mackenzie was in front of a camera offering his sympathies to those affected. Meanwhile, his counterpart at joint venture partner …

Brazil to Sue BHP and Vale for $5.24B in Damages Caused by Burst Dam Disaster

Brazil’s federal and state governments plan to sue the owners of the Samarco iron ore miner for 20 billion reais ($5.24 billion) in damages caused by the burst of a tailings dam, Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira told reporters on Friday …

Brazil Mining Disaster to Lead to Stricter Insurance Standards, Oversight

Brazil’s worst mining accident will lead to stricter insurance standards under a revised version of an industry bill first introduced to Congress two years ago. The cost of damage to communities, loss of life and environmental consequences from the Nov. …

Mine Disasters Show Real Cost of Using Cheap Solutions for Waste Storage

As miners globally review the way they store waste in the wake of another horrific dam spill, the solution may be as simple as it is dramatic: spend a lot more. Images of sludge spewing into towns and rivers could …

Brazil Mine Disaster Could Devastate Ecosystem for Many Years

The collapse of two dams at a Brazilian mine has cut off drinking water for quarter of a million people and saturated waterways downstream with dense orange sediment that could wreck the ecosystem for years to come. Nine people were …

Brazil Slaps Initial Fine of $66 Million on Mine for Burst Dam Disaster

Brazil’s president slapped preliminary fines of 250 million reais ($66.2 million) against a mine in the country’s southeast where two dams burst, killing nine people and coating a two-state area with mud and mine waste. The fines, announced after President …

Brazil Vows to Make BHP & Vale Pay Fine & Cleanup Costs for Mine ‘Catastrophe’

Brazil’s government said on Wednesday it may fine mining giants BHP Billiton Ltd and Vale SA for the “environmental catastrophe” caused by ruptured dams at an iron ore mine jointly owned by the companies in a southeastern state. The government …

Insurers Face Claims of $600 Million from Brazilian Mine Disaster: Sources

Insurers covering risks for a Brazilian mine where two dams burst last week, killing at least six people, could pay up to $600 million in claims, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday. A property policy …