A Brazilian court in the state of Minas Gerais has ordered Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) to take additional safety measures at an iron ore site to avoid a dam collapse, following an injunction requested by the state’s attorney general office.
CSN confirmed it received the court decision, which said the company must meet certain safety requirements within five to 30 days, “none of which implicates the halt of activities at (CSN’s) Fernandinho or any other CSN-owned or Minérios Nacional dams,” the court order said.
CSN, which owns iron ore producer Minérios Nacional, could face a daily BRL 1 million ($198,400) fine if it fails to comply with the court order, attorney general office said.
CSN said its B2 Auxiliar dam located at the company’s Fernandinho iron ore dam doesn’t offer any risk for the nearby populations, as the communities have already been evacuated from the nearby area.
The court order demands, among other things, CSN and Minérios Nacional to establish an emergency plan to mitigate, recover and repair for socioenvironmental and socioeconomic impacts of an eventual dam collapse.
CSN said its B2 Auxiliar dam currently has a level 2 safety risk. Level 3 means a dam is likely to collapse.