The high court in London, England declared BHP liable for the collapse of the Mariana rejects dam in 2015, that killed 19 people and resulted in the worst environmental accident in Brazilian history.
Justice Finola O’Farren declared that BHP, although not being the owner of the iron ore and pellets producer Samarco, a JV between Vale and BHP, was aware of the dangers of a foreseeable collapse, considering the high number of incidents like seepage and cracking.
The sentence, which is subject to appeal, refers to the responsibility of BHP, leading to a second phase of the trial when the amount of indemnification will be defined.
Pogust Goodhead, a law firm, is seeking indemnification totaling $48 billion, which covers 600,000 parties, including individuals, businesses and municipalities.