Brazil mine disaster News

Upstream Mine Tailings Dams Pose Higher Risks of Instability: Study

The most widespread type of dam used to store mine waste is nearly twice as unstable as the average tailings facility, a global study showed on Friday, highlighting the risk of so-called “upstream” construction techniques that some countries have banned. …

Vale Agrees to Pay Settlement of $7 Billion for Brazilian Mine Disaster in 2019

Vale SA reached a settlement agreement with Brazilian authorities for a dam collapse that killed 270 people and led to production cutbacks that stripped the company of the title of world’s biggest iron ore producer. The deal comes two years …

Brazilian Dam Claimants to Take BHP Class Action to English Court of Appeal

Lawyers for about 200,000 Brazilian claimants, whose multi-billion dollar lawsuit against Anglo-Australian miner BHP over a 2015 dam collapse was struck down last November, said on Tuesday they will petition the English Court of Appeal to review the case. “This …

English Court Blocks $6.6B Brazil Lawsuit Against Mining Firm BHP Over Burst Dam

A 5.0 billion pound ($6.6 billion) English lawsuit against Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP has been struck out, in a blow to a 200,000-strong Brazilian claimant group seeking damages after a devastating dam failure in 2015. A High Court judge in …

Mining Giants BHP, Vale Accused of Colluding to Cut Payouts to Victims of Dam Collapse

Brazilian federal prosecutors have accused mining giants BHP and Vale of colluding with a lawyer to reduce compensation for victims of a fatal dam collapse and interfere with a landmark lawsuit against BHP in the UK. A mining waste dam …

Prosecutors Want Brazil Court to Make Vale Mine Replace Executives Tied to Lax Safety

Federal prosecutors in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state are seeking a court order for miner Vale SA to replace executives they accuse of disregarding safety procedures following two deadly mining disasters. They have asked a court in Minas Gerais to name …

Miner BHP Calls $6.3B English Lawsuit over Brazil Dam Collapse ‘Pointless and Wasteful’

Anglo-Australian miner BHP has dismissed as pointless and wasteful a 5 billion pound ($6.3 billion) English lawsuit by 200,000 Brazilian people and groups over the 2015 collapse of a dam that led to Brazil’s worst environmental disaster. Kicking off an …

Anglo-Australian Miner BHP Faces $6.3B Lawsuit in UK over 2015 Brazil Dam Disaster

More than 200,000 Brazilian people and groups will next week kick off a 5 billion-pound ($6.3 billion) lawsuit against Anglo-Australian miner BHP in Britain over a 2015 dam failure that led to Brazil’s worst environmental disaster. The group claim, one …

Mining Groups Should Be Required to Buy Insurance for Tailings Dams: Report

Mining companies should be required to buy private insurance for tailings dams and their board of directors should be held legally responsible for any disasters, a coalition of 140 environmental groups said in a report published on Tuesday. The recommendations, …

Brazil’s Vale Knew Deadly Tailings Dam Was Unsafe as Far Back as 2003: Report

An independent investigation requested by Brazilian iron ore miner Vale SA into the causes of the Brumadinho tailings dam disaster that killed 270 people a year ago found the company knew about the problem but failed to deal with it. …