Brazil has closed a port terminal operated by miner Vale SA in Vitoria, in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. Specifically, Vitoria fined the company 35 million reais ($9.5 million) for throwing mining residues in the sea.
According to Reuters, Vitoria Mayor Luciano Rezende noted that ‘pollution cannot be justified by tax revenue any more’.
Commenting on the development, Vale said that informs that Vitória determined the interdiction of a part of the waste water treatment of Tubarão port, which affects the supply stocking area, the port services of coal and the pelletizing plants 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Vale is immediately complying with the order and will analyze its contents to adopt the applicable measures
It also added that no irregularities were found in the system during the latest inspections by the City Environmental Authorities, and the monitoring reports from October 2018 to December 2018 show that the waste water is within the established parameters.
Moreover, it mentioned that it has been monitoring the water bodies that receive the waste water for more than 30 years, and it has never found any changes to the quality of water.
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Before this, on January 25, the breach of the upstream Dam I of the Brumadinho-based mine, released a tsunami of toxic mud that swept across the area damaging buildings and trapping hundreds of people.
Up to now, Vale, the operator of the mine, noted that there have been 99 fatalities as a result to the dam collapse, 67 of which have been identified, while 259 remain missing. A total of 393 people have been found, and 192 rescued.
In addition, Drewry supports that the Brazilian Government doesn’t permit Vale to compensate its loss by increasing production at its other mines.
