Brazil’s federal police has concluded an investigation of environmental crimes related to the Mariana disaster in November 2015, and as a result has charged both Vale and Samarco of negligence.
According to police, the two companies knew the risks of a dam burst and were still negligent in preventing it from happening, ignoring “clear signs” the dam was at risk of collapsing.
Samarco said the dam was always declared “stable” and that there was no inspection, valuation or report from any specialized consultancy warning the company about the risks of a dam burst.
Additionally, Vale said it is unaware of plans by Brazil’s interim government to replace CEO Murilo Ferreira as a result of “political concerns,” according to a company’s filing at the nation’s securities exchange commission, CVM.
The Brazil iron ore producer said there was no discussion regarding the replacement of Ferreira or any communication from Vale’s controlling shareholders about the issue.