Mining giant BHP says it will fight an unprecedented English lawsuit filed by hundreds of thousands of Brazilians for multi-billion pound damages over Brazil’s worst environmental disaster...It looks set to be the largest group action heard in England...

“BHP will defend the action and remains committed to supporting the remediation and compensation efforts of the Renova Foundation,” a spokesman said...

SPG says it is working with 600 lawyers and law firms in Brazil and is bringing the case in England in part because a 200 pound ($259) settlement offer two years ago by the Renova Foundation to those who had their water disrupted was “inadequate”.  It wants to bring the case against BHP and subsidiaries in Brazil, the United States and Panama using Brazil’s tough environmental law, that can hold companies liable for repairing damage or compensating victims irrespective of fault or intent.  “The key issue at the heart of this case is whether the parent company, BHP, is liable as a matter of Brazilian law,” says SPG lawyer Tom Goodhead...