"Brazil rejects Vale, BHP settlement offer for Mariana disaster", 04 May 2024

...Brazil and the state of Espirito Santo have rejected a proposal by miners Vale, opens new tab and BHP, opens new tab regarding reparations for the deadly 2015 Mariana tailings dam burst, the federal government said on Friday.

The statement did not include Minas Gerais state, where the disaster happened, and which said it wants to keep negotiating the current proposal.

Vale, BHP and their joint venture Samarco earlier this week presented authorities with an offer to pay a total of 127 billion reais ($25.03 billion) as reparations for the dam collapse, including 37 billion reais already disbursed.

In rejecting the offer, the office of Brazil's solicitor general said in a statement that it "does not represent an advance" from the firm's previous proposal in December and contains "inadmissible conditions"...

Under the new proposal, the removal of mining tailings from the Doce River would be significantly smaller than previously agreed and "border a scenario of no removal at all," according to the federal government...

Questioned about the matter, BHP reiterated it remains committed to reparation and compensation measures, and remains willing to collectively seek solutions that guarantee fair and comprehensive reparation for people. Vale said it remains engaged in reaching a fair and full repair agreement. Samarco said it remains open to dialogue and seeks to conclude the discussion on the agreement without shirking its responsibilities...