CSN Mineração, the iron ore arm of local steelmaker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) plans to deactivate an iron ore dam at its Casa de Pedra mine, located in the city of Congonhas, Minas Gerais state.
A government news agency said the Casa de Pedra dam is one the world’s largest dams near an urban center. Officials from Congonhas said the city will adopt stricter measures to evaluate the security of CSN’s dam.
The CSN dam is considered having a high bursting risk and the highest potential damage risk, or class 6. The Casa de Pedra mine has a 30 million mt/year production capacity.