Vale hereby clarifies the following:
People On Site
The presence of professionals at the dams worldwide - including inactive dams - is part of the basic
safety and maintenance procedures and routine measures implemented in these structures. These
professionals are involved in many activities in these locations, from pruning the grass to reading
devices and conducting inspections. In the specific case of the footage broadcast by the media on
Friday (02/01), which showed the exact moment when the Dam I breached at the Córrego do Feijão mine in
Brumadinho, the professionals who appear in the footage in the dam area were performing routine tasks.
One of the activities performed included the collection of data for compliance with legal requirements,
as determined by the Brazilian Mining Agency. It is important to highlight that no construction works
were being carried out at Dam I.
Drainage
Another standard measure to ensure the safety of dams is the existence of water drainage pipes.
Actually, it is a routine procedure adopted worldwide. Specifically in the case of Dam I, besides the
existing drainage pipeline, additional pipes were installed in 2018 as a complementary measure before
the beginning of the decommissioning process. It is worth highlighting that those were preventive
measures, since the technical reports indicated a fully stable structure.
Warning Siren
The audible warning system is triggered manually from an Emergency and Communication Control Center that
operates 24/7 and is located outside the mine area. According to initial information, which is being
investigated by the authorities, the speed at which the event occurred made it impossible to trigger
the sirens at the Dam I. The causes are still being investigated.
It is important to note that the Dam 1 had been inactive since 2016 and all applicable stability
affidavits were in place, as it underwent ongoing independent and external audits. Fortnightly
inspections were carried out and subsequently reported to the Brazilian Mining Agency, the last of
which dated December 21, 2018. Structural inspections were also carried out on January 8 and 22 this
year, as recorded in Vale's monitoring system. In addition, on June 16, 2018, employees
participated in an external emergency drill coordinated by Civil Defense agencies with support from
Vale, and received internal training on October 23, 2018.
Escape Route
The escape route guidelines provided in the Emergency Action Plan for Mining Dams (Plano de Ação de
Emergência de Barragens de Mineração, PAEBM) were followed.
Employees received internal training in October 2018. According to initial information, which the
authorities are investigating, the speed at which the event occurred made it impossible to trigger the
safety siren.
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