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Environmental restoration is divided into five fronts:
¨
Preservation of local flora and fauna;
¨
Removal of tailings on land and in the river, allocating them to
safe and controlled areas;
¨
Containment of tailings, preventing them from reaching the river
during rainy periods;
¨
Monitoring and restoration of water and soil quality;
¨
Human and ecological health risk assessment studies.
Discover here all the monitoring points that exist today
Hover the Mouse over the map to see more details
Hover the Mouse over the map to see more details
But, after all, how is water monitoring done?
Mouse over the icons to learn about the process
The Paraopeba river basin crosses the region known as the Iron
Quadrangle of Minas Gerais, and records of naturally high
concentrations of iron and manganese in the waters are common, even
above the quality standards, even in the historical series of data
from Igam before the break.
In the monitoring carried out by Vale,
significant results of these metals were identified in stretches
more impacted by the input of tailings, with attenuation as we move away from the region where the
Ferro-Carvão stream meets the Paraopeba river. The contents of
manganese and iron, in total form, show an increase in the rainy
season and a reduction in the dry season, and the current condition
indicates that the water quality is in a transition phase, with a
progressive reduction in concentrations.
Dissolved aluminum
The analysis of aluminum metal has shown significant concentration
levels, which may be associated with the tailings. However,
specifically in the stretch of the Paraopeba River after the
municipality of Maravilhas, it is observed that natural geological
factors influence the increase in the concentration of this element.
Understand the difference in water behaviour in the
rainy x dry season
Mouse over the illustration
Click over the illustration
Monitoring in numbers
Mouse over the icons to read more
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What is the role of Igam in overseeing the monitoring and analysis
of the recovery of the Paraopeba River?
-
Igam has a fundamental role as a supervisory body, in the scope
of evaluating the results and studies related to the sampling
carried out by Vale, as well as in requesting responses and
proposing changes in the way the work is being carried out.
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Liberation of the use of water from the Paraopeba river
-
Igam reinforces that the recommendation of not using raw water
from the Paraopeba River for any purpose is still maintained, as
a preventive measure, in the stretch that covers the
municipalities of Brumadinho up to the limit of the Retiro Baixo
HPP, in Pompéu (approximately 250 km from distance from the
break). The use of water in the stretches before the
municipality of Brumadinho (before the stretch affected by the
rupture) and after the Retiro Baixo HPP are authorized for a
wide range of purposes and there is no restriction by public
bodies.
Monitoring the quality of the water is essential to subsidize
the agency and, in the future, allow the resumption of use. This
is a decision that does not depend on Vale, and to support the
assessment of the water quality condition, the monitoring
results are periodically sent to the State's supervisory bodies.
Water Distribution
Vale supplies water for rural properties and residences that depended on
water withdrawal from Paraopeba river or water tables located less than
100 meters from the river bank. Demands are met according to each action
front:
Corrective actions
Actions towards animal and human consumption, as well as production
irrigation.
Preventive actions
To guarantee water safety in locations affected by B1 dam breach,
Vale is conducting several construction works, such as drilling of
artesian wells, installation of high-performance filter systems, and
implementation of stations for water withdrawal and treatment.
Location
See below the municipalities to which Vale works on water supply.
- Brumadinho
- São Joaquim de Bicas
- Mário Campos
- Betim
- Esmeraldas
- Juatuba
- Florestal
- Pará de Minas
- São José da Varginha
- Pequi
- Pompéu
- Curvelo
- Maravilhas
- Papagaios
- Paraopeba
- Fortuna de Minas
Volume of Water Distributed
Up to now, Vale has already distributed a total of
805.7
million liters of water
Irrigation
415.3 million liters
Animal consumption
253.6 million liters
Human consumption
136.8 million liters
Data from August 2nd, 2020
Construction Works for Water Supply
Water Supply Systems
Construction works of new water supply systems to serve the population
of Pará de Minas and metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte are
underway. The systems include the construction of three new pipelines.
Two of them are for water withdrall, one on the Pará River, in Pará de
Minas, and the other on the Paraopeba River, located 12 km above the
current withdrall structure, in Brumadinho. The other will interconnect
the water supply systems of the Paraopeba River Basin to that of the Rio
das Velhas Basin, located in the Novo Glória neighborhood in Belo
Horizonte.
The pipeline that will make the interconnection between the systems will
guarantee the improvement in the current distribution system and was
designed to meet a flow rate of 430 l/ s.The others construction works
will guarantee the same flow rate of the interrupted withdrawal systems,
and operations will be carried out by the Water Utility Company of Pará
de Minas (Capam, Concessionária Águas de Minas Gerais) and Sanitation
Company of Minas Gerais (Copasa, Companhia de Saneamento de Minas
Gerais).
Protection of Bela Fama
Although it was not impacted by the Dam I breach, the Das Velhas river
is receiving a preventive investment. Among the initiatives contemplated
in the investment is the installation of a containment barrier that
surrounds the catchment of Bela Fama, in Nova Lima. This barrier is
approximately 3 meters high and 300 meters long and its works were
completed in december 2019. In addition to the barrier, Vale is also
studying a complementary system for the Bela Fama Treatment Station,
with the aim of strengthening the system, increasing the efficiency of
current treatment processes and ensuring water potability.
R$559 million are being invested
The water supply system in Pará de Minas is expected to be
delivered in July 2020
The RMBH water supply system, in Brumadinho,
is expected to be delivered in September 2020
The pipeline system that will interconnect systems in
Belo Horizonte is expected to be delivered in
March 2020
Drilling and Reactivation of wells
Another action that Vale has taken is the drilling of tubular wells in
some regions for water supply.
Until now, Vale has already drilled
76 wells in 15 municipalities
- Pará de Minas
- Paraopeba
- Caetanópolis
- Barão de Cocais
- Brumadinho
- Betim
- Esmeraldas
- Fortuna de Minas
- Maravilhas
- Mario Campos
- Papagaios
- Pequi
- Pompéu
- São Joaquim de Bicas
- São José da Varginha
High performance filters
Vale is making water filtration equipment available to rural producers
using wells and cisterns near the Ferro-Carvão stream and the Paraopeba
river. The forecast is that by the month of June, around 250 systems will
be available in 20 municipalities, from Brumadinho to Três Marias. The
filters aim to make the water potable, complying with the regulations. The
different technologies for treatment are selected for each property,
according to the level of water quality in wells or cisterns, in order to
guarantee the safety of users.
River Water Treatment Plant
The River Water Treatment Plant (ETAF, Estação de Tratamento de Água
Fluvial), located in the region of Alberto Flores, started its
operations in May 2019; it can treat almost two million liters of
water per hour, which corresponds to almost 20 Olympic-size swimming
pools a day. It aims to clean the Ferro-Carvão stream and dispose the
treated water in the Paraopeba River.
About ten billion liters of clean water have already
been treated and returned to Paraopeba river
How Does It Work?
A sheet pile curtain has been installed for river tailings
containment. The water from this area is withdrawn and pumped to the
ETAF
In the ETAF, solids are separated by decantation; then, the water is
filtered and returns clean to the tributary of the Paraopeba
The solids decanted in the sedimentation basin are sent to large
containers – known as geotextile tubes – to contain, store, and
dewater the tailings
The water drained from these containers is sent to the filtering
system installed and, then, to the river
Solids retained in the geotextile tubes are removed and transferred to
an area previously defined and authorized by relevant authorities
Learn More about the Impact of Tailings on Paraopeba River
- What Is Water Turbidity?
-
It is a physical property of liquids that reduces transparency due
to the presence of suspended material that affects the path of
light through the fluid. It works as an important parameter for
the adequate conditions of drinking water.
- What Causes Turbidity?
-
Turbidity is caused by the presence of some suspended solids, such
as silt, clay, silica or colloids, organic and inorganic matter,
microscopic organisms, and algae. These materials come from
several sources – soil, mining, sand withdrawal or clay
exploration, industries, or domestic sewage. After heavy rainfall,
surface waters also become turbid due to sediments flow from the
banks.
- Are Tailings in Paraopeba River Harmful to Health?
-
Iron ore tailings are mostly composed of ferrous minerals and
quartz, considered inert, as per NBR 10.004 from the Brazilian
Technical Standards Association.
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Are There Studies about the Impact of Toxic Substances on the
Environment?
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Vale has concluded ecotoxicity tests with bacteria and aquatic
invertebrates (according to ABNT standards) on water and sediment
samples collected along the Paraopeba River to the São Francisco
River, in order to understand the consequences of tailings
deposits in the watercourse for biodiversity.
So far, there are more than 10,000 ecotoxicological analyzes,
including the periods before and after the passage of the tail
plume. In addition, about 4 million physical-chemical analyzes of
water, soil and sediments have already been carried out on more
than 31 thousand samples. These analyzes monitor various
parameters, such as the presence and quantity of metals, pH and
water turbidity.
The tests carried out during the dry season indicated an
attenuation of the concentrations of the analyzed elements,
resulting in a greater number of parameters within the limits
allowed by the legislation. Studies continue to be carried out
during the rainy season.
The work is conducted by independent specialized laboratories and
involves approximately 250 professionals.
- Is It True that Heavy Metals Are Native to the Region?
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Analyses of 1,019 historical soil samples from the region
conducted by the Brazilian Geological Survey Organization (CPRM,
Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais), and 124 sediment
samples collected by Vale’s Mineral Development Center (CDM,
Centro de Desenvolvimento Mineral) at the watershed, show that
arsenic and lead concentrations in the area affected by tailings
are in line with those of other regions and below the acceptable
threshold established by the resolution 420/2009 from the National
Council for the Environment (Conama, Conselho Nacional de Meio
Ambiente). Historical geochemical data have shown that metal
concentrations in tailings are below or at the same level as those
recorded in public databases about soil.
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