Brumadinho
On January 25th, 2019, Dam I, at the "Córrego do Feijão" mine, in Brumadinho (MG), collapsed. Since the first hours after the dam breach, Vale has been providing support to those affected and their families. Several actions have been carried out in the social, environmental, infrastructure and safety areas. We continue to invest in initiatives towards the development of sustainable mining, reducing impacts and acting with society, transparently, to mitigate even more the risks associated with our operations.
About the dam:
Dam I of the Córrego do Feijão mine received the disposal of iron ore tailings from Vale’s production in Brumadinho (MG). The dam was inactive (it was no longer receiving tailings), there was no lake present and no other operational activity was in progress. At that time, the dam’s de-characterization project was under development.
The dam was built in 1976 by Ferteco Mineração (a company acquired by Vale on April 27, 2001) using the upstream heightening method. The dam height was 86 meters and its crest length was 720 meters. The tailings occupied an area of 249.5 thousand square meters and the disposed volume was 11.7 million cubic meters.
About the investigations:
Expert Panel
On December 12th, 2019, the Expert Panel, retained by Vale’s external legal counsel to assess the technical causes of the failure of Dam I at the Córrego do Feijão mine, in Brumadinho, released its report. The Expert Panel, whose composition was announced on February 8th, 2019, was instructed to utilize its professional expertise and judgment to investigate and report on the technical causes for the failure of the dam. The Expert Panel's Report, ten accompanying appendices and a short explanatory video are available at
http://www.b1technicalinvestigation.com/.
Report from the Investigation Committee (CIAE-A)
Announced on January 27th, 2019, the CIAE-A was constituted by Vale’s Board of Directors, under the coordination of the former minister Ellen Gracie, dedicated to investigating the causes and responsibilities of the Dam I rupture, at the Córrego de Feijão mine, in Brumadinho.
The Committee met 49 times last year, and has, since its establishment, carried out multiple verification activities - such as interviews with key individuals to understand the event, document review, visits to the site of the rupture, among others. The Committee also engaged with the authorities responsible for other related investigations and monitored the work of the various established parliamentary committees, in order to obtain relevant information from multiple sources. The work of the Committee for Investigation was also directly monitored by the Board of Directors and by Vale’s Fiscal Council, through periodic reports. For any eventuality, the independence of the Committee – which even has its own budget allocation — is safeguarded.
The result of the work was made available through a report to the Board of Directors and its summary was disclosed to the market through the press to ensure accountability to society. This report contains recommendations of a technical and governance nature. Most of the recommendations refer to themes that are already being addressed by Vale through several initiatives to enhance its internal controls. The executive summary of the Report is available
here.
Vale defined the timeline for actions to comply with the recommendations brought by the CIAE-A report. The implementation schedule foresees that 95% of these actions will be completed by the end of 2020 and 100% will be completed by December 2022.
To access the timeline,
click here.
Reparation Data
Results of the searches:
395 people located
270 deceased victims
11 missing persons
Economic and non-economic compensation:
108,946 beneficiaries of emergency compensation
3,047civil agreementssigned, involving 6,625 people.
661
labour agreements signed and
1,650
indemnified people
10 indemnity registration stations available in the affected municipalities
Figures updated in the first week of November, 2020.
Immediate support to victims and families:
7 assistance posts for familiesavailable in Brumadinho and Belo Horizonte
10 hospitals and health units mobilized to assist those affected
+18,000 medical and psychological consultations
185,000 pharmacy items acquired and made available
R$ 30 million driven to social and health care of the communities
R$ 6.5 million of equipment for the local forensic medicine facility (Instituto Médico Legal de Belo Horizonte)
+750 million litres of water supplied to the population
211 Pataxós indigenous people provided with emergency payments and healthcare support
276 people received the R$ 100-thousand donation
100 people received the R$ 50-thousand donation
91 people received the R$ 15-thousand donation
Support to the municipalities:
R$ 80 million in financial support to the municipality of Brumadinho
R$ 258.7 million in financial contributions to 10 municipalities with halted mining operations
R$ 107 million in financial compensation to the Government of the State of Minas Gerais for the decrease in tax revenue
Support to public entities in the search and rescue efforts:
R$ 20 million donated to the State Fire Department
R$ 5 million donated to the State Civil Defence
R$ 4 million donated to the State Military Police
Support to the rescue of fauna:
9,800 animals rescued
48,800 veterinary consultations
2 hospital and animal shelter
204 animals adopted in 3 adoption fairs
724 professionals including veterinarians, biologists, technicians and field staff involved in the rescue of local fauna
600 animals under Vale's care
Social
Assistance to the affected people and families
Vale offers assistance to the affected families at the assistance posts, making available to them multiple professionals, including doctors, social workers and psychologists.
More information.
Missing persons
Vale periodically updates the list of missing persons, as soon as they are located.
More information.
Deceased victims
Vale periodically updates the list of deceased victims identified so far by the Instituto Medico Legal (IML).
More information.
Economic and non-economic compensation
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Emergency indemnifications: term of preliminary agreement signed in February 2019 with the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Public Defender's Office, the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Minas Gerais, the Public Defender's Office of the State of Minas Gerais, the Federal Attorney General’s Office and the Attorney General's Office of the State of Minas. Under the agreement, starting on January 25, 2019, Vale will make monthly emergency compensation payments during one year to those residing in Brumadinho or up to one kilometre from the Paraopeba River banks, between Brumadinho and the Retiro Baixo Power Plant, in the city of Pompéu, comprising people in 17 municipalities. Over 108,000 beneficiaries received the emergency compensation. Until the first week of November 2020, the payment of emergency aid relating to this TAP totaled BRL 1,673 million.
Who is this for and what are the conditions?
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Until January 24, 2020: Citizens who were residents of Brumadinho or up to one kilometer from the Paraopeba River banks, between Brumadinho and the Retiro Baixo Power Plant, in the city of Pompéu, comprising people in 17 municipalities by the moment the agreement was closed. Emergency aid: one minimum wage for each adult, 50% of the monthly minimum wage for each teenager and 25% of the monthly minimum wage for each child, for a period of 12 months (January to December 2019, retroactively).
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From January 25, 2020: The emergency aid will be fully provided to those people who have been proven to reside in the communities of Córrego do Feijão, Parque da Cachoeira, Alberto Flores, Cantagalo, Pires and along the Córrego Ferro-Carvão banks on the date of the dam breach, as well as those people who are currently taking part in the following support programs developed by Vale: housing, social assistance, agricultural assistance and assistance to local producers. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 people will continue to receive the full payment of emergency aid. Others who are not included in the above-mentioned criteria and who currently receive the full payment of emergency aid agreed in February 2019, estimated between 93,000 to 98,000 beneficiaries, will receive 50% of the emergency payment for 10 months starting on January 25th, 2020.
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Individual Indemnification Program: term of commitment entered into with the Public Defender's Office of the State of Minas Gerais (DPMG). It sets general conditions for indemnification of material and moral damages, aiming at a quick and fair solution for individual damages. Until the first week of November 2020, 3,047 agreements had been signed, involving 6,625 people, totalizing BRL 997.8 million have already been paid.
Who is this for?
Father/mother, spouse/life partner, sons/daughters, brothers/sisters and other people with family relations with the deceased victims of the dam rupture in Brumadinho;
What are the conditions and amounts?
- Father/mother, spouse/life partner, sons/daughters of deceased victims: moral damages – R$ 500,000;
- Brothers/sisters of the deceased: moral damages - R$ 150,000;
- Other damages are treated on a case to case basis, respecting the general conditions of the term of commitment.
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Labour indemnification: in July 2019, Vale and the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Minas Gerais, with the participation of unions, entered into an agreement with the general conditions for labour indemnifications. Families of workers deceased in consequence of the dam collapse can opt for receiving compensation, including a life insurance plan for spouses, partners and children. In August 2019, Vale deposited the amount of R$ 400 million agreed in court as collective moral damages. Until the first week of November 2020, 661 agreements had been entered into, including 1,650 family members of 246 workers, out of a total of 270 deceased. The total value of the agreements entered into until the beginning of November 2020 was approximately BRL 1.058 billion and, of these, BRL 1.0 billion have already been paid by the first week of November.
Who is this for?
Father/mother, spouse/life partner, sons/daughters, brothers/sisters of the deceased workers (Vale employees or outsourced workers).
What are the conditions and amounts?
Spouse/marriage partner, sons/daughters:
- Moral damage – R$500,000
- Additional insurance for work accident – R$ 200,000
- Material damage – minimum guaranteed amount of R$ 800,000
- Lifetime health insurance for spouse/partner and children up to 25 years old
- Childcare allowance – R$ 920/month for children up to 3 years old
- Education allowance – R$ 998 for children between 3 and 25 years old
Parents
- Moral damage – R$500,000
- Additional insurance for work accident – R$ 200,000
- Psychological / psychiatric assistance
Brothers/sisters:
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Guidance to receive compensation: The people affected by the Dam I collapse at the Córrego do Feijão mine in Brumadinho can find information related to compensation
here.
As of November 2019, another 22 legal agreements for economic and non-economic compensation have been entered into local, state and federal entities to establish a stable legal framework for reparation. The main fronts covered are:
Recovery of the socioeconomic capacity:
Vale’s Program of Full Support for the Affected People encompasses six fronts of technical and social assistance. The program aims to support the affected people, mainly those who already received individual indemnifications, while they are adapting to a new reality. The participation in this program is voluntary. Through the program, Vale offers technical assistance and advisory on:
Technical assistance and advice is provided for:
Social projects supported by Vale
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Novo Rumo (New Course, in English): The Novo Rumo Project is conducted in partnership with the Kairós Institute. After the collapse, it was strengthened to support the residents of Córrego do Feijão with restoring self-esteem. Currently, over 60 residents have participated in activities that enhance local vocations, such as productive backyards, community gardens and handicrafts;
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Comfio: The Comfio Social Workshop is also held in partnership with the Kairós Institute. In handicraft workshops, residents are welcomed and share experiences and feelings, working on the notion of belonging and rebuilding self-esteem. While creating plots and shapes, the participants build confidence in the collective and its productive potential;
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Semeando Esperança (Sowing Hope, in English): The “Semeando Esperança” Project is sponsored by the Vale Foundation, in partnership with the Matizes Dumont Institute, at the local
“Estação do Conhecimento". Women who reside in Brumadinho and various communities in the region take part in embroidery workshops, which stimulate creativity, strengthen affective bonds and help with the mourning;
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Batucabrum: The Batucabrum Project is currently serving more children, it has been extended to the Cantagalo community, and now adults can also participate in choral singing and guitar lessons. The activities take place outside school hours and help about 80 children and young people to cope with the loss and to transform the experienced reality.
Alliance for Brumadinho
We have joined the program “Aliança por Brumadinho” [Alliance for Brumadinho] launched by the Brazilian Federal Government, which aims to leave a legacy for the region. We have also moved forward with the Preliminary Agreements for compensation with the authorities. For more information on the initiatives conducted by the partner entities,
visit the Program’s Monitoring Dashboard (Portuguese only).
Environmental
Reparation Data
724 professionals involved in fauna recovery (veterinarians, biologists, zoo technicians and professionals from various environmental areas)
48,800 animals involved in the rescue operations
610 people attended pet adoption fairs provided by Vale
204 animals were adopted
90 monitoring points of water quality between the Paraopeba River and the mouth of the São Francisco River
6.4 million analyses of water, soil, tailings and sediment
2,000 native trees were planted
The work of environmental recovery and fauna protection is continually advancing and involves entities specialized in analysis, water treatment and animal care.
Paraopeba River
Vale maintains daily monitoring points of the water quality between the Paraopeba River and the mouth of the São Francisco River. There are points installed along: the Ferro-Carvão stream; the Paraopeba and São Francisco rivers up to their mouth, in the Atlantic Ocean; in the reservoirs of the Retiro Baixo and Três Marias plants; as well as the main tributaries of the Paraopeba River. Turbidity analyses are also performed 24 hours a day, in points of the river, by means of automatic probes. Today, it is already possible to verify that the water, in some points of the Paraopeba River, begins to return to its original condition, observed before the rupture, after the beginning of the drought period.
River Water Treatment Plant
The water treated at the plant arrives at around 6,300 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) and returns to the Paraopeba River with rates below 29 NTUs on average. The National Environmental Council’s (CONAMA) turbidity standards are up to 100 NTU.
Animal care
Vale has held Dog and Cat Adoption Fairs, promoting responsible adoptions, succeeding in finding new homes for the animals that are now kept at the Fauna Farm Shelter or promoting reunions with their former owners. In addition to the adoption fair, Vale will be responsible for monitoring the adopted animals for 6 months. This is an agreement entered into with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Minas Gerais.
Service channel for fauna-related issues: 0800 031 0831
