"BHP Billiton to be sued by investors over dam collapse that caused Brazil's worst ever environmental disaster", 17 May 2018

BHP Billiton faces legal action from shareholders who say the mining giant misled them over safety measures at a dam in Brazil which broke, killing 19 people and causing Brazil’s worst ever environmental disaster...Australian law firm Phi Finney McDonald now plans to sue the multinational...on behalf of investors.  It alleges that the company...knew that the dam was at imminent risk of breaking but did not tell markets, in breach of regulations...The mining giant has said publicly that it was not responsible for the dam’s collapse, that it complied with Brazilian law and that safety has always been a key concern.  Brett Spiegel, Principal Lawyer at Phi Finney McDonald said: “There are strong grounds to allege that from at least 21 October 2013, BHP failed to ensure that appropriate safety measures were in place at the Fundão dam, including a proper system to warn people living downstream of the dam in the event of a dam failure...“Conditions at the Fundão dam deteriorated to the point that BHP knew of the imminent risk that the dam would collapse.  We allege that the company was also aware of the serious human, environmental, and financial consequences that would result...”...BHP Billiton could not be reached for comment...