Vale, BHP, and Samarco Sentenced to Pay $9.6 Billion for Mariana Tragedy

It's compensation for collective moral damages caused to the population by the rupture of the Fundão dam in the municipality of Mariana in 2015

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Leonardo Augusto
Belo Horizonte

On Thursday (25), the federal court in Minas Gerais sentenced mining companies Vale, BHP, and Samarco to pay BRL 47.6 billion ($ 9.6 billion) as compensation for collective moral damages caused to the population by the rupture of the Fundão dam in the municipality of Mariana in 2015. The decision can be appealed.

Crosses with the names of victims are pictured during the fifth anniversary commemoration of the Brumadinho dam collapse on January 25, 2024 in Brumadinho, state of Minas Gerais. January 25 marks five years of the rupture of the B1 Dam at the Corrego do Feijao Mine, owned by the mining company Vale. Almost 75% of the 9.7 million cubic meters of ore waste have already been inspected by the Military Firefighters of Minas Gerais in search of bodies, body segments or objects that can help locate and identify the last 3 missing victims, out of a total of 270. (Photo by DOUGLAS MAGNO / AFP) - AFP

The dam belonged to Samarco, a joint venture formed by Vale and the Australian company BHP. This Thursday marks five years since another dam rupture, also by Vale, in Brumadinho.

BHP stated that it was not officially notified of the decision. Vale also declared that it had not been notified and would express its stance "in due course in the process concerning the decision, which is subject to appeal." Vale further mentioned its commitment to fully repairing the damages. Samarco stated that it would not comment.

The tailings mud killed 19 people, destroyed the Bento Rodrigues district, and reached the Doce River mouth in Espírito Santo, affecting an estimated two million people.

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