“Brazil court clears Vale, BHP and Samarco of criminal charges in 2015 dam collapse”, 14 November 2024

A Brazilian federal court ruled miners Vale, BHP Group and their joint venture Samarco are not criminally liable for the deadly 2015 Fundao tailings dam collapse…

The dam collapse at an iron ore mine owned by Samarco near the city of Mariana in southeastern Brazil resulted in 19 deaths, left hundreds of people homeless, flooded forests and polluted the Doce River.

Judge Patricia de Carvalho ruled to clear the three miners and 21 people, including former executives, "due to the lack of proof of individual actions that would determine direct criminal responsibility for the disaster," the court said.

Brazil's Federal Prosecutors Office, which had filed the criminal charges, said in a statement it will appeal against the decision.

The ruling on criminal charges is separate from a $31.7 billion civil settlement agreement disclosed in late October, which deals with framework obligations and other claims related to the dam failure…