The National Council of Justice (CNJ) should close the largest environmental agreement in the world by July to compensate victims of the tragedy in Mariana (MG), which occurred in November 2015. The amount should reach R$ 155 billion and will serve to compensate families and also the collectivity.
“It has to be the biggest environmental deal in the history of the world. When there was the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the compensation was 21 billion dollars. In Mariana, the value should be around R$ 155 billion, which is equivalent to US$ 32 billion. But we still don’t have a closed value, when all the agreements are already aligned and if you know what will be done, then it will be priced”, said Luiz Fernando Bandeira, a member of the CNJ who is leading the negotiations.
The council acts as an intermediary in negotiations between the government and the responsible companies. The companies are: Samarco, Vale and BHP Billington Brasil. They negotiate with representatives of the Union, the governments of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, the Federal Public Ministry, the Public Ministry of the two affected states, and the Public Defender’s Offices of the Union and the states. The compensation will be fully paid by the companies.
The judicial process began to be processed in the 12th Federal Court of Minas Gerais, based on an action proposed by the Federal Public Ministry. The case deals only with damages to the community – that is, damages caused to the environment, the river, public infrastructure and the local economy. The discussion was transferred to the CNJ at the request of the judge in the case, Mário de Paula.
“The Mariana tragedy took place six years ago and the process is not over, due to judicial appeals. The Brumadinho case happened three years later and there was already an agreement, the money is already coming in and there is already investment being made in the region”, compared Bandeira.
Programs are being developed to recover the damage caused by the tragedy, focusing on reforestation, basic sanitation, water supply and measurement of new accidents. Only after these policies are budgeted will the final value of the agreement be reached. This agreement should include compensation to victims and families of accident victims.
There have already been seven rounds of negotiations. Bandeira is going to Mariana next week to talk to victims of the tragedy and families of victims.
Source: CNN Brasil
