A regional labor department in the state of Minas Gerais said Vale’s decommissioned Xingu dam, located at the company’s Alegria mine, is at the imminent risk of collapsing.
Vale denied the claim on Thursday, saying “there’s no imminent risk of collapse” at its Xingu dam and there hasn’t been any changes in the safety conditions of the structure.
As previously reported by SteelOrbis, Vale suspended activities at its Timbopeba mine and part of its Alegria mine after the labor body ordered the company to evacuate the area near Xingu. However, Vale didn’t mention the labor authority’s warning at the time.
Vale said this Thursday that it did meet the labor authority’s order to evacuate the areas nearby.