An aerial view of the devastation after the dam collapsed in January 2019.
Photo:
douglas magno / Agence France-Presse / Getty Images
SÃO PAULO – Brazilian miner Vale has agreed to pay $ 7 billion in compensation to the state of Minas Gerais, where the collapse of its dam two years ago killed 270 people, polluted rivers and destroyed the surrounding landscape.
Thursday’s agreement, the largest settlement in Brazil’s history, according to prosecutors, is intended to compensate the state for the socio-economic damage caused by the disaster, but does not affect a number of ongoing homicide and environmental allegations in this case.
When Vale’s dam erupted in Brumadinho in January 2019, it triggered a tsunami of mining waste in the valley at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, clearing the canteen on the spot as many workers were at noon, as well as destroying homes. nearby and a guesthouse.
“Vale is committed to fully repairing and compensating for the damage caused by the Brumadinho tragedy and to contributing more and more to the improvement and development of the communities in which we operate,” Executive Director Eduardo Bartolomeo said in a statement. “We know we have work to do and we stand firm for that.”
The disaster at the Brumadinho tailings dam in Brazil has killed 270 people. This video shows when the disaster started. Photo: AP / Globo TV (originally published February 1, 2019)
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