BRL 31,61 billionalready invested in actions
Samarco deeply regrets the collapse of the Fundão dam, in Mariana (MG). Since 2015, the company has guided its actions by the commitment to redress and compensate for the damage caused and, above all, by the lessons and experiences acquired, aiming at a new operational model.
The company reaffirms its commitment to the communities affected and to the integral remediation process and ongoing compensation and, together with its shareholders, guarantees support for Renova Foundation to enforce the actions.
According to data from the Renova Foundation, until March 2024, BRL 37 billion had been allocated to remediation and compensation actions. Of this amount, BRL 14.1 billion was used in the payment of cash compensations and BRL 2.7 billion in Emergency Financial Aid, totaling BRL 16.9 billion in 442.7 thousand agreements.
Also by March 2024, 534 cases of restitution of the right to housing were resolved with the delivery of the property or the payment of cash compensation, from a total of 729 houses, businesses, farms, lots and collective assets.
For more information, access the Renova Foundation website.
Renova Foundation
Renova Foundation is an autonomous, non-profit entity responsible for redressing the impacts caused by the Fundão dam collapse, in Mariana (MG). It was built through the Transaction and Conduct Adjustment Term (TTAC), signed in March 2016 by Samarco, its shareholders, the federal and state governments of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, in addition to other entities.
The purpose of its creation was to have an institution that would dedicate itself full time and exclusively to implementing and managing all the programs necessary to remedy, mitigate and compensate for the damage caused by the collapse. The remediation process has a robust governance model, with the participation of more than 70 entities.
Understand Fundão’s collapse
On November 5, 2015, the Fundão dam, in the Germano Complex, in Mariana (MG), collapsed resulting in 19 deaths.All rescue efforts were carried out and the company provided support to the victims’ families.
On the day of the collapse, approximately 32 million cubic meters of tailings left the structure and reached the Santarém dam(water reservoir), which retained a large part of that volume. The rest of the material reached Bento Rodrigues, a district in the municipality of Mariana, eight kilometers away from Fundão.
Then, the tailings reached the Gualaxo do Norte rivers, affecting the city of Barra Longa, and later the Doce river. Arriving at the Risoleta Neves Hydroelectric Power Plant, also known as Candonga, part of the tailings was contained in the dam and in the area of its reservoir.
Approximately 10 million cubic meters were carried beyond the limits of the Candonga reservoir and were diluted along the Doce River, until reaching the district of Regência, in the municipality of Linhares, on the coast of Espírito Santo. In total, 39 municipalities in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo were affected by the collapse.
Emergency actions
Immediately after the Fundão dam collapsed, Samarco, with the support of its shareholders, BHP and Vale, mobilized to provide assistance to the affected communities. All affected families were accommodated in hotels the next day after the incident, and then gradually transferred to houses rented by the company. Moreover, the company arranged for the distribution of drinking and mineral water, animal rescue, psychosocial care and restoration of damaged accesses.
The emergency actions were carried out by Samarco until the date on which the Renova Foundation took over the management of the remediation programs, in August 2016. In this book you can have access to everything that has been done by Samarco, from the moment the Fundão dam broke, to repair the damage caused.
Independent investigation
The Fundão dam, operated by Samarco, had a volume of approximately 56 million cubic meters of tailings, within the limit of up to 111 million cubic meters, permitted and licensed by the competent environmental agency – Regional Superintendence for the Environment and Sustainable Development (Supram).
According to the audit carried out in July 2015, to comply with federal legislativa 12,334/2010, ordinance 416/2012 of the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM) and state legislation DN 87/2005 of the Environmental Policy Council (Copam), the Fundão dam was stable.
To identify the causes of the collapse, US law firm Cleary Gottlieb & Hamilton LLP was retained by Samarco and its shareholders, Vale and BHP, to coordinate an independent investigation. It was supported by a team made up of geotechnical experts from Brazil, Canada and the United States, which was led by Professor Norbert Morgenstern, an internationally renowned authority on geotechnical engineering, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Alberta.
Field inspections, data analysis, laboratory tests, modeling research and interviews with those involved were developed. The study pointed to a combination of several factors that led to the collapse.
Learnings
Immediately after Fundão dam collapsed, we focused on reinforcement works of the remaining structures of the dams, in Germano Complex (MG) and revised our emergency action plan. We strengthened our integrated safety system, with the implementation of a robust Monitoring and Inspection Center (CMI), prevention measures, dialogue and drills in communities, in partnership with municipal civil defenses.
– All of geotechnical structures are stable and monitored 24/7 through CMI. The Safety Integrated System has around 2,000 state-of-the-art equipment and teams of technicians who perform field inspections.
Our priority is to continuously improve our safety and risk management procedures and strengthen our commitment to society.
To maintain dialogue and transparency about our dams, we are available 24/7 to answer any questions. Contact us at the number 0800 033 8485.
Decharacterization
In order to prioritize the safety of the geotechnical structures, the environment and the communities where we operate, Samarco is carrying out the process of de-characterizing the upstream tailings dams.
Our de-characterization works, which started even before they were required by legislation, consist of a set of actions aimed at ensuring the long-term stability of the structures. After completion of the de-characterization interventions, the area will be revegetated and the structures will continue to be monitored. Through further studies, options will be listed for defining the future use of available spaces.
At Samarco, Germano Pit was de-characterized in 2023 and Germano Dam is in advanced de-characterization phase.
Investment in de-characterization in 2023 reached BRL 850 million, totaling approximately BRL 2.3 billion since work began.
To learn more about our integrated safety system and de-characterization, visit: https://www.samarco.com/estruturas-disposicao-rejeitos/