Brazilian steelmaker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) will notify iron ore producer Vale over a leakage of muddy water from Vale’s drainage system into one of the steelmaker’s containment dams, according to a media report.
Strong rains in the so-called Iron Quadrangle area in the state of Minas Gerais, which produces 60 percent of Brazil’s iron ore, burst manholes open in Vale’s drainage system, causing muddy water to hit CSN’s drainage containment dam.
CSN said it was about to send Vale a notification to take immediate technical measures to solve the issue. CSN’s concerns follows the Mariana disaster last year, which killed 19 people and halted output at local pellets producer Samarco.
Vale said the incident has no relation to any dam structure. It added the issue was solved and did not affect any third party. The manhole burst occurred last Wednesday, but a new occurrence happened on Saturday.
CSN has a mining unit in the city of Pires, in the state of Minas Gerais. The Pires unit has a containment dam, which was hit by the leakage, however, CSN said there is no risk or damage to its iron ore waste dam.