Monitoring an At-Risk Braskem Mine in Alagoas Involves 26 Sensors, 24-hour Teams, and Satellite Technology

Ground sank almost 2 meters deep in affected neighborhoods in Maceió due to Braskem

Maceió

It's 24 hours of real-time monitoring to try to prevent the residents of Maceió (AL) from a tragedy in the face of the risk of the collapse of Braskem's mine 18.

The task force coordinated by the city's Civil Defense to check the subsurface movement relies on the capture of 26 earthquake sensors and the use of satellite technology.

Demonstrators take part in a protest against the petrochemical company Braskem and their salt mine in Maceio, which is at imminent risk of collapse, in Maceio, Alagoas state, Brazil December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Lins - REUTERS

The ground has sunk almost two meters deep since monitoring began on November 21. The most critical point is in Mutange, one of the five neighborhoods affected by Braskem's mining activities.

The network includes 14 surface sensors and 12 at depth. A technique called interferometry, covering the entire area of interest, indicates the status of the sinking.

There are four inclinometers, measuring the angle of the cavities, and 13 tiltmeters, measuring variations and inclinations of this angle. There are also three rain gauges to analyze the possibilities of rain.

The monitoring center team has 22 members, in addition to the coordinator, who work in shifts.

The report sought the Government of Alagoas and Braskem to detail how their monitoring work is conducted, but there was no response.

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