Cities in ES are recognized as affected by dam collapse

Judges of the Federal Regional Court of the 6th Region voted, this Wednesday (24/4), for the coverage of the area affected by the collapse of the Fundão dam, in Mariana in November 2015. Six cities in Espírito Santo were included in the list: Conceição da Barra, São Mateus, Linhares, Aracruz, Praia Grande and Nova Almeida. The vote was unanimous and all three judges voted in favor of extending the affected territory.

The municipalities had already been mentioned in deliberation No. 58/2017, of the Interfederative Committee (CIF), of Ibama, in 2017. However, the Renova Foundation and the mining companies involved in the rupture – Samarco, BHP Billiton Brasil LTDA and Vale – entered with resource.

As stated in the document signed by the president of the CIF, at the time, Suely Mara Vaz Araújo, Renova would have 30 days to begin the Impact Survey and Registration Program in the communities listed by the committee. For the member of the national coordination of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), Juliana Nicoli, it took nine years to wait for justice.

“When it is in the interests of the mining companies, the Renova Foundation recognizes the territory as affected, when it is to guarantee rights it denies the territory and the damage that is still ongoing”, stated Juliana.

On Monday (22/4), the president of TRF-6, judge Mônica Sifuentes, received a commission of state and federal deputies and members of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) to discuss, among other issues, the implementation of the deliberation no. 58/2017. On the occasion, the coordinator of the External Commission on Inspection of Dam Breaks, federal deputy Rogério Correia (PT), reported that “the last proposal presented by the company Samarco, Vale and BHP was far short of what was required by the federal, state and Public ministry. Something around R$126 billion, and they offered R$42 billion.”

The report sought out the mining companies and the Renova Foundation to comment on the decision, but until the publication of this article there was no response. The space is open for including the positioning of the companies mentioned.