The history of the subdistrict of Bento Gonçalves (MG) is divided between before and after that late afternoon, on November 5, 2015. The event turns nine years old this Tuesday (5). The disruption of Mariana dam considered the worst environmental tragedy in the history of Brazil.
It was just after 4pm when a dam, called “fundão”, broke and dumped more than 40 million cubic meters of iron ore waste over an entire community. The event destroyed lives, productive communities and brought environmental consequences that crossed the limits of the state of Minas Gerais.
The event, widely publicized over the years, was not fully completed. A series of civil and labor actions are underway in the judiciary, in order to compensate for the irreparable damage. Remember the case .
Deaths, destruction and legal dispute
The disaster in the Bento Gonçalves subdistrict, close to the city of Mariana, in the interior of Minas Gerais, culminated in the deaths of 19 people. According to the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais, three people were never found.
Among the effects of the dam collapse are 600 homeless people and 1.2 million people without access to drinking water. In nature, the event dumped 40 million cubic meters (m³) of waste into the environment, reaching 49 municipalities in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The mud traveled 663 km until it reached the sea.
Although Brazilian legislation limits the amount to R$50 million per environmental infraction, the numbers in the agreement mentioned by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira (PSD), are higher because they cover different “complaints”.
The agreement to renegotiate the Mariana (MG) tragedy will include immediate compensation for 300 thousand families affected . In an interview with Now CNN last month, Silveira said that the amounts will be allocated to compensation and repairs.
According to the analyst at CNN Teo Cury, the agreement is in the hands of the president of the Federal Supreme Court, Luis Roberto Barroso, who should dedicate himself to approving the conciliation in the coming days.
Vale reported at the end of October that it had reached an agreement with the authorities for full repair of the collapse of the Fundão dam. The total value will be R$170 billion, of which R$38 billion has already been invested.
This content was originally published in Remember the collapse of the Mariana dam, which turns 9 years old today on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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