Minas Gerais state prosecutors have filed a public civil lawsuit with an urgent request to annul the environmental licensing of an iron ore project owned by Mineração Conemp Ltda in the state’s Serro region.
Prosecutors argue that if granted, the environment mining licensing would have irreversible effects on both the natural and cultural environment, affecting water and other resources. They added that the company’s iron ore project covers an environmentally protected area.
Prosecutors said Anglo American Brazil was the first company to attempt obtaining a license for the iron ore site, but the company’s request was rejected at the time. Then, Anglo American Brazil sold its mining rights to Mineração Conemp Ltda, which tried to get the licensing for the exact same project under a different company name, prosecutors said.