Samarco’s licensing is said to be advancing and a mid-2017 restart is possible, according to a Bloomberg media report.
Semad, the Minas Gerais state regulator overseeing Samarco’s license, said it received all the documentation requested from the pellet producer and is now analyzing the company’s plan to use a vacant pit to deposit iron ore waste instead of building a new dam. Semad is also said to be formulating a series of guidelines for the company’s mining complex license.
"Environmentally, [using Samarco’s Alegria Sul pit] is a lot better than depositing in an area that was not prepared or would have to be prepared for this purpose,” Anderson Silva de Aguilar, who is overseeing the licensing requests, told Bloomberg.
"Environmentally, [using Samarco’s Alegria Sul pit] is a lot better than depositing in an area that was not prepared or would have to be prepared for this purpose,” Anderson Silva de Aguilar, who is overseeing the licensing requests, told Bloomberg.
Semad’s final license is decisive for Samarco, a 50/50 JV between Vale and BHP Billiton, to resume operations after a year-long halt. The company was rumored to be running out of cash, but a 2017 restart could bring it some relief financially speaking.
Semad’s decision to reconsider Samarco’s licensing under a single, “corrective” permit would simplify the process.