BHP Billiton' Samarco operation suspended, water is clean

Staff writer ▼ | December 22, 2015

BHP Billiton posted an update following the breach of the FundÃ£o tailings dam and SantarÃ©m water dam at the Samarco MineraÃ§Ã£o S.A (Samarco) iron ore operation in Minas Gerais, Brazil which occurred on November 5, 2015.

Article continues below

eak]

BHP Billiton and Vale each hold a 50 percent interest in Samarco. At this stage there are 17 confirmed fatalities, being five members of the community and 12 people who were working on the dams at the time of the breach. In addition, two people who were working on the dams remain unaccounted for.

Samarco continues to work with the government authorities in Brazil to relocate displaced people from temporary accommodation to rented housing and to distribute living wage debit cards to those who have been impacted. All displaced people will have been given the opportunity to relocate before December 25, 2015.

Community access bridges are being rebuilt and public service centres have been established in affected communities. Planning for the reconstruction of impacted communities has also commenced.

Monitoring of the remaining dam structures at Samarco continues. Interim work to repair the damage to the dams and to reinforce parts of the structure continues, with work on the Selinha dike (which is the wall between the Germano and FundÃ£o dams) and the SantarÃ©m dam being over 50 percent complete.

Processing and mining operations at Samarco remain suspended.

On December 15, 2015, the Brazilian Geological Service (CPRM) and National Water Agency (ANA) issued a second report in relation to additional sampling and analyses of the water quality of the Rio Doce.

The report supports earlier assessments that the tailings material is non-toxic. The report states that, after proper treatment to comply with the potability standards defined by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the water can be consumed by the population without any risk.

Consistent with earlier studies, the report also indicates that levels of dissolved heavy metals in the Rio Doce (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, copper, zinc and others) are, in general terms, similar to those found in analyses performed by CPRM in 2010.

All communities affected by the dam breach have access to drinking water, with Samarco having worked with municipal authorities to maintain water supplies. ■

POST Online Media Lite Edition

BHP Billiton' Samarco operation suspended, water is clean

What to read next

Latest

Trending Now

Today We Recommend

Highlights