ESG

Brazil reportedly preparing charges against Vale

Prosecutors gathering evidence since deadly dam failure

Staff reporter
A member of the Minas Gerais military fire brigade continues the search at Brumadinho

A member of the Minas Gerais military fire brigade continues the search at Brumadinho

Lead prosecutor José Adércio Leite Sampaio told the paper investigators had gathered enough evidence to affirm that Vale employees directly involved in the operation of the mine knew the dam was unsafe.

The charges could include murder, manslaughter, environmental damage and false representation, he told newspaper.

More than 300 people were killed or are still missing and presumed dead since the dam collapse on January 25.

Prosecutors were also preparing possible criminal charges of false representation against employees of TÜV SÜD, the German inspection firm that certified Vale's dam near Brumadinho as safe four months before it collapsed, the paper said.

Earlier this month, Vale announced 17 of its tailings dams and dikes in Brazil have since failed stability condition declarations and production from those sites would only resume once their safety was assured.

The miner has said up to 93Mtpa of iron ore and 11Mt of pellets capacity could be impacted by the fallout from Brumadinho, and recently said 2019 sales could be reduced by up to 75Mt to 307-332Mt.

Vale will release its March quarter production and sales results on May 8 before market open and its financial results a day later after market close.

Its shares closed down 1.13% yesterday but are up 1.49% year-to-date, bolstered by the strengthening iron ore price with global supply also affected, albeit to a lesser extent, by a cyclone impacting BHP and Rio Tinto operations in Western Australia's Pilbara last month.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Global Leadership Report 2024: Net Zero

Gain insights into decarbonisation trends and strategies from interviews with 20+ top mining executives and experts plus an industrywide survey.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Project Pipeline Handbook 2024

View our 50 top mining projects, handpicked using a unique, objective selection process from a database of 450+ global assets.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Investor Sentiment Report 2024

Survey revealing the plans, priorities, and preferences of 120+ mining investors and their expectations for the sector in 2024.