On 2 March 2016, Samarco Mineração S.A. (Samarco), Vale S.A. (Vale), BHP Billiton Brasil Ltda (BHP Brasil) (the Companies), and the Federal Government of Brazil, the Brazilian states of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais and other public authorities entered into a Framework Agreement that provides for the settlement of the BRL20 billion Civil Claim.  Under this Agreement the Companies agreed to establish a fund for clean-up costs and remediation and for compensation of impacts relating to the Fundão tailings dam failure.   The Companies, the other parties to the Framework Agreement, the Public Prosecutors Office and the Public Defense Office have agreed an arrangement which settles the BRL20 billion Civil Claim, enhances community participation in decisions related to the remediation and compensation programs under the Framework Agreement (Programs), and establishes a process to renegotiate those Programs over two years and to progress settlement of the BRL155 billion Civil Claim (Governance Agreement).
The Governance Agreement is conditional on the Federal Government of Brazil signing the agreement, and is subject to ratification by the 12th Federal Court of Minas Gerais...