Vale closes agreement with Public Ministry after omission of report on Mariana mine

The mining company will have to allocate around R$21.19 million after omitting a report made in 2020 from the National Mining Agency (ANM). The document pointed out safety factors below the minimum limit required in the Permanent Waste Pile.

The structure is formed by the material that lies between the surface of the soil and the ore, such as sand and rocks. According to the Public Ministry, the situation was considered serious due to the location of the pile, which is above a sediment containment dike.

In the event of a collapse, there would be a direct risk of collapse, posing a threat to the environment and the safety of neighboring communities, such as the district of Santa Rita Durão.

The Federal Public Ministry states that, even after episodes of landslides in 2020 and 2022, Vale kept the report restricted for around two years.

The document was only delivered to the National Mining Agency after demands made during an inspection. Following this, the Agency closed the structures in November 2023.

In the agreement, Vale was obliged to allocate up to R$21.19 million for the modernization and strengthening of the inspection capacity of the National Mining Agency (ANM).

Furthermore, the mining company is committed to communicating about any serious risk situation in waste piles in Minas Gerais and presenting a detailed diagnosis of all structures in the Fábrica Nova Complex.

The text also determines that surveillance in inactive structures must be permanent.

g1 questioned Vale about why the company did not previously communicate the risks to ANM and is awaiting feedback.