House report condemns Brumadinho dam disaster as “unforgivable”

A House report on the Brumadinho dam disaster, which killed over 270 people in early 2019, decries the lack of criminal accountability for the security flaws that led to the collapse of an iron ore tailings dam and the resulting tsunami of toxic sludge. The report also criticizes mining giant Vale for a lack of […]

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A House report on the Brumadinho dam disaster, which killed over 270 people in early 2019, decries the lack of criminal accountability for the security flaws that led to the collapse of an iron ore tailings dam and the resulting tsunami of toxic sludge.

The report also criticizes mining giant Vale for a lack of transparency in compensation agreements with victims.

Authored by Congressman Pedro Aihara, the report was presented in early July to a select committee on dam failures. However, two scheduled meetings to vote on the report have been canceled. 

Mr. Aihara, a native of Minas Gerais, the state where Brumadinho is located, served as a spokesman for firefighters during most of the prolonged recovery operation at the disaster site. He successfully ran for a House seat in 2022. In his report, he describes the Brumadinho tragedy as “unforgivable.”

“As we pass the fifth year since that tragic event, a painful reality persists: no one directly responsible has been effectively punished, and the search for justice remains frustratingly inconclusive,” he wrote. 

“This sad realization not only resonates as an injustice to the victims and their families but also as a blunt warning about the fragility of regulations, oversight, and corporate commitment to the safety and well-being of affected communities.”

In early 2021, Vale and local and federal authorities signed a compensation agreement worth BRL 37.6 billion (USD 6.7 billion today), separate from individual lawsuits. This agreement included initiatives Vale must undertake as well as direct transfers to public coffers.

According to Mr. Aihara’s report, by June this year, Vale had paid BRL 11.6 billion into public coffers, which were allocated to income transfer programs, environmental monitoring, and security and reconstruction works, as stipulated by the agreement.

However, relatives of the victims have complained about a lack of transparency regarding funds directly intended for them and the recovery of the region. Mr. Aihara’s report calls for greater transparency in this regard.

In early 2020, state prosecutors charged 16 people with 270 counts of homicide and environmental crimes related to the dam disaster, including Fabio Schvartsman, who was Vale’s CEO at the time of the tragedy. The criminal lawsuit was later transferred to federal courts. In March this year, a federal court suspended the charges against Mr. Schvartsman, but federal prosecutors have since appealed. 

The suspension was subsequently extended to all other defendants.

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