ArcelorMittal Brazil lacks a specific deadline for decommissioning its Itatiaiuçu dam, located at its Serra Azul iron ore mine in the city of Itatiaiuçu, Minas Gerais state, according to state policymakers.
According to the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais state (ALMG), a body of state legislators, the iron ore dam currently has no stability certificate, and its risk level reached 3, which means there’s a higher chance of a collapse.
Wagner Barbosa, general manager BioFlorestas and Brazilian mining at ArcelorMittal Brazil’s long steel business division told legislators the dam’s risk level reached 3 due to a change in local regulations. He said the dam’s safety hasn’t changed.
Wagner Barbosa said the Itatiaiuçu dam can only have a specific timeline for its decommissioning after the company builds a contention structure just two kilometers (1.24 miles) from the dam.