The Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, sent this Monday (26) a letter to the National Mining Agency (ANM) to demand an immediate and effective solution to the water overflow occurred in a Vale mine, called Viga, located in Congonhas, in the interior of Minas Gerais.
According to Congonhas city hall, there were no victims, but the episode caused environmental damage, as the overflow reached the Maranhão River.
In the letter sent to ANM, the minister demanded an effective solution to the problem, including citing “the ban on the operation, if necessary, to guarantee the safety of local communities and the protection of the environment”.
Silveira also ordered the opening of a process to determine responsibilities and the involvement of the competent federal, state and municipal bodies to monitor and potentially penalize the company.
This is the second letter sent by the minister to the National Mining Agency. The first was sent yesterday (25), when an overflow of water and sediment was recorded in a pit at the Fábrica mine, also owned by Vale, located between the cities of Ouro Preto and Congonhas. In this case, the material crossed the Freitas dike and continued carrying sediments and mining waste, also causing environmental impacts, but without victims. According to Congonhas city hall, there was a leak of 263 thousand cubic meters of turbid water that contained ore and other materials from the mineral processing process.
The city of Ouro Preto reported that the incident took place in a rural area, far from the historic center and in a sparsely populated area. The Ouro Preto administration also said that, despite there being no victims, the overflow caused damage to CSN, causing the company’s areas to flood.
According to CSN, the flooding occurred in areas of its Pires unit, in Ouro Preto. Among the areas affected are the warehouse, internal access, mechanical workshops and the boarding area.
Public Ministry
The leakage of water from the Fábrica mine pit is being investigated by the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG). In a note sent to Brazil Agencythe MP informed that he is following the case and that he has already requested information from the State civil defense teams and the cities of Congonhas and Ouro Preto.
The Public Ministry reported that a team from the Center for Combating Environmental Crimes (Nucrim) visited the site yesterday and produced a preliminary report on what happened.
Vale informed, through a statement to the market, that the water spills identified in the Congonhas and Ouro Preto mines “have been contained”.
“No one was injured and the population and nearby communities were not affected. Neither of the two situations has any relationship with Vale’s dams in the region, which remain unchanged in their stability and safety conditions and are monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Vale also clarifies that there was no transport of mining waste, only water with sediments”, wrote the company.
In this statement, the company also stated that it carries out preventive inspection and maintenance actions periodically and that its structures are safe. “The company reinforces these procedures during the intense rainy season. The causes of the two overflows are being investigated and the lessons learned will be immediately incorporated into the company’s rain plans”, says Vale.
