The company’s Pau Branco Mine Vallourec, in Nova Lima, Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, had its activities suspended by the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais, after a decision issued on Saturday night (8), at the request of the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais.
The MP’s request comes after a structure to contain the water accumulated by the rains overflowed this Saturday, blocking the BR-040, where the water reached cars. The highway connects the state to Rio de Janeiro.
In an interview with CNN this Sunday (9), the governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Novo), said that the state of Minas Gerais, through the General Counsel of the State (AGE), joined together with the action of the Public Ministry.
Zema stated that the Vallourec company will be fined at R$ 1 million per day until the overflow situation is re-established. In a note sent to CNN, the company said it has not been notified of any legal action.
The governor adds that the action includes a request for compensation to those affected because the stoppage of a stretch of BR-040 impacted the population and local economic activity.
He also pointed out that the rain has impacted the region for 15 days, and the forecast is for it to continue for the next few hours.
“The soil is no longer able to absorb water and everything that rains at that moment is directed to the rivers, and we watched these scenes of flooding, dams overflowing. It’s a very difficult time”, he said.
Zema pointed out that the Secretariat of Environment and the state Civil Defense have been monitoring, together with the National Mining Agency (ANM), the situation of all dams in the state.
“We have been monitoring the situation hour by hour so that, if any dam presents a risk, the affected people are notified in advance”, he declared.
“We hope that the tragedy of Brumadinho and Mariana will never happen again. Our work is in this sense”, he added.
The governor also cites the law “Mar de Mud Never Again”, approved by the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, which provides for the end of more than 50 dams in the state.
“They will be removed. The material inside these dams will be removed and they will no longer exist. But this removal of material is not done quickly. For decades this material has been accumulated, there are millions of tons, and you are removing truck by truck”, he said.
“Many mining companies are at an accelerated pace, but it will take some time”, he added.
See images of the impact of the rains that hit Minas Gerais in recent weeks:
Reference: CNN Brasil
