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.