Minas Gerais state prosecutors denied on May 2 Vale’s claims that a joint deal would allow the miner to resume dry processing operations at its Timbopeba mine this week.
As previously reported by SteelOrbis, Vale said it would resume Timbopeba activities following an audit overseen by both Minas Gerais state prosecutors and Vale, as part of a court agreement. However, state prosecutors said Vale’s statement isn’t accurate.
Vale said at the time the Timbopeba mine activities had been suspended since March 2019. Vale said the mine’s restart would allow it to produce 330,000 mt of iron ore fines per month, using the dry processing method.
The prosecutors said the deal that Vale mentions states in clause No. 6 that Vale “will not release new waste at the Doutor dam or perform any activity that (would) increase the risk for the structure.”
Additionally, the clause also says that “an eventual resumption of Timbopeba mine activities will only occur if there are no increased risks for the Doutor, Natividade and Timbopeba dams,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the statement by Vale that an external audit allowed Vale to resume activities is inaccurate.
“The independent, external audit (company) and MPMG (state prosecutors) don’t have authority to authorize the resumption of mining activities,” prosecutors said, adding there is “no forecast for it,” under the terms of Vale’s agreement.