New Evidence Suggests That Minas's Government May Be Complicit in Mariana Mining Tragedy

07/26/2016 - 11h54

New evidence suggests the government of Minas Gerais was aware of the events unfolding in Mariana that led to the biggest environmental disaster Brazil has ever seen. It appears that officials working for the state government had conducted surveys and carried out inquiries into the structural developments that caused Samarco's dam to burst.

However, in a statement the government insisted it had never received any data about building works in the area.

Documents obtained by Folha show that the Secretary for the Environment verifies the financial records for the interventions in the reservoir once a year. Between 2013 and 2015, three different governments had checked these records: the governments of Antonio Anastasia (Brazilian Social Democrats Party), Alberto Pinto Coelho Jr. (Progressive Party) and Fernando Pimentel (Workers' Party).

What's more, the Secretary received, in 2014 and 2015 respectively, data and photos showing the changes in the dam. A leak in the structure last November left 19 dead and the surrounding countryside and villages engulfed in a sea of mud.

It seems the government had official records from surveys and inspections that detailed the nature of the building works taking place to the infrastructure. It had also corroborated certificates issued by external consultants that guaranteed their security.

At the end of 2012, Samarco altered the dam's geometry so it could be used in further mining projects and ventures.

Samarco created an "S"-shaped indent at the top of the dam, where it then opened a job site. This intervention was needed because the construction was having problems with drainage and in certain parts of its structure.

Witnesses say that the rupture occurred precisely in the place where the indent was made. The police investigation indicated that this was indeed the 'breaking point' for the tragic events that followed.

In January, the President of the Feam (State Foundation for the Environment, linked to the Secretariat), Diogo Soares de Melo Franco, declared that the organisation had not received or archived between 2013 and 2015, any document relating to the project that changed the infrastructure of the dam.

Samarco, a company joint owned by Vale and BHP Billiton, is being taken to court by the Public Ministry, under claims it did not inform the authorities about the alterations in the structure.

The Public Ministry, which is also involved in issuing environmental permits, claimed it had no knowledge of Samarco's infrastructural works on the dam.

According to the prosecutor, Mauro Ellovitch, the government would have interfered in the process of renovation of the license if it had detected irregularities. The inspections and the certificates are being investigated by the State Controller General.

Translated by GILLIAN SOPHIE HARRIS

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