Another Vale mine forced to close

Timbopeba produces about 13m tonnes of iron ore per year...

Article translated from Portuguese


https://g1.globo.com/mg/minas-gerai...vale-na-mina-de-timbopeba-em-ouro-preto.ghtml

Due to dam risk, Justice suspends Vale operations at Timbopeba Mine in Ouro Preto
Vale said he was determined. Request was made after warning of Tuv Sud about risk in the dam of the Doctor.
By Humberto Trajano, G1 Minas - Belo Horizonte

15/03/2019 19h53 Last modified 48 minutes ago

Judge Ana Paula Lobo de Freitas has ordered that Vale suspend operations at the Timbopeba Mine in Ouro Preto because of the risk in the dam of the Doctor, which is part of the complex. The request for suspension of activities came from the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG); and the decision released on Friday (15) is this Thursday (14).


The Public Prosecutor's Office stated that the Public Civil Action (CPA) was motivated by information provided by the company Tuv Sud to Vale reporting that, after reviewing the safety factors of the Doctor's dam on March 13, it would be necessary to immediately adopt measures to avoid social and environmental risk. In addition, the MPMG received anonymous denunciation that the dam was in high elevation process.


The judge has determined a series of measures that must be taken by Vale including:
Action plan to ensure stability;
Contract of external audit for inspections, monitoring and inspection of repair measures and reinforcements in structures;
Fixation of escape routes, signaling and identification of meeting points in auto rescue zones;
Presentation of the strategy for evacuation and rescue of people with difficulty of locomotion;
Communication and information to the population of Antônio Pereira district and elaboration of an "effective dams security plan".


State and municipal civilian defenses should be informed of the situation and questioned about the need to evacuate residents from self-rescue and flood zones.

In the decision, the judge emphasizes that "the danger of damage is evident and manifests itself not only in the degradation of the environment, but above all in the loss of human life, should there be a rupture in the Doctor's Dam fomented by Vale SA, mainly due to the fact of not even planning to evacuate the local population. "
"The fear of breaking the dams is not unfounded. On the contrary, it is credible and can not be ignored."

What Vale says
Vale said in a statement that it "immediately met the determination and will take appropriate action." The company noted that the decision was based on a notification containing preliminary information about the Doctor's dam.

The miner also said that the structure was surveyed by technicians of the National Mining Agency (AMN) on Thursday (14) "that found that the structure has no relevant anomaly or situation that compromises the safety of the dam. In addition, ANM says that, at the moment, there is no justification for a ban and / or activation of Alert / Emergency Levels that require evacuation of the downstream population. "