The Minas Gerais Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPMG), through the Brumadinho Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, together with the Environmental Operational Support Center (Caoma), launched a civil inquiry to determine the causes of the increase in the level of emergency of the B1 mining tailings dam, under the responsibility of the company Mineração Morro do Ipê SA
The dam, which until then had a declaration of stability condition, was raised to emergency level 1. In 2022, the company signed a Term of Commitment with the MPMG to de-characterize, in the shortest possible time, its tailings dams raised upstream in order to bring definitive security to the area.
The prosecutors handling the case reaffirmed that the MPMG will continue to monitor, with priority, the safety conditions of the project’s dams with the adoption of all necessary measures.
A CNN contacted Mineradora Morro do Ipê SA for a position on the lawsuit filed by the MPMG, but until the closing of this matter we had no response.
The dams in MG
Of the 31 dams that have some level of emergency in Minas Gerais, 22 structures are at level 1 (when there is an abnormality, but there is no need to evacuate neighboring residents), six at level 2 (when there is a risk of rupture and removal is recommended of residents) and three at level 3 (when there is an imminent risk of collapse and residents are forced to leave their homes).
Currently, the three emergency classification 3 dams in Minas Gerais are duly evacuated in their surroundings, as well as in the entire area defined as “flood spot generated by hypothetical dam rupture”. These are the B3/B4 dams, in Nova Lima, Forquilha III, in Ouro Preto, and Sul Superior, in Barão de Cocais; all structures belong to the mining company Vale S/A.
What is decharacterization
The term “de-characterization” means to functionally reintegrate the structure and its contents into the environment, so that the structure no longer serves its primary purpose of acting as a tailings containment facility.
Laws and regulations enacted in Brazil after the Brumadinho dam failure require the de-characterization of all our upstream dams on a specified schedule.
Due to the technical complexity involved in the de-characterization works and in the actions necessary to increase the safety of the structures, in February 2022, we signed a term of commitment with the state of Minas Gerais, regulatory bodies and the State and Federal Public Ministry, establishing a new schedule and reinforcing the commitment to eliminate all its upstream structures in Brazil. We are still determining the appropriate measures to de-characterize some of these dams.
De-characterizing an upstream structure is a complex process, with specific challenges for each structure that, if not addressed, could affect the geotechnical stability conditions and increase the risk of the works. Therefore, de-characterization requires time, intensive care with security and customized solutions. De-characterization projects include detailed engineering studies for each structure included in the program, with reinforcement works where applicable.
Source: CNN Brasil
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