The Minas Gerais Court ordered the suspension, with immediate effect, of all activities of the mining company Vale in the Fábrica Mining Complex, in the mining city of Ouro Preto, following environmental damage caused by a water and waste leak that occurred on January 25th. The decision was signed last Friday (6). 
The strike was granted at the request of the state government and the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais. According to the decision, activities can only be resumed when the stability and safety of all structures in the complex have been technically proven.
In case of non-compliance, Vale is subject to a daily fine of R$100,000, up to a limit of R$10 million. Agência Brasil contacted the company and leaves space open for comments.
The leak in one of the Fábrica mine pits reached watercourses responsible for feeding the Paraopeba River, causing silting of streams and damage to vegetation, as demonstrated by the MPMG in the action.
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There was an overflow of 263 thousand cubic meters of turbid water that contained ore and other materials from the mineral processing process. According to the MP, there was a failure in the drainage system of the mine reservoir.
The agency also accuses Vale of taking ten hours to communicate the leak to the authorities, making it difficult for Civil Defense to respond.
The material carried by the leak reached an area belonging to another mining company – CSN – causing material damage. This mud then reached the Goiabeiras River, which crosses part of the urban area of the city, before meeting the Maranhão River, in the central area of Congonhas.
The Goiabeiras River is a tributary of the Maranhão River and this, in turn, flows into the Paraopeba, the same river that passes through Brumadinho and was affected by the collapse of a Vale dam on January 25, 2019, seven years ago.
In parallel, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) also went to court and asked for the blockage of more than R$1 billion from Vale to ensure the repair of environmental and material damage.
