The Samarco Dam breach agreement in Mariana (MG) had received until early Thursday night the adhesion of 26 of the 49 eligible municipalities, a few hours from the end of the deadline for cities to accept the proposed terms, according to data computed by the mining company.
Other cities will still be able to join the agreement by the end of this day. The adhesion of the municipalities to the agreement is seen as important for Samarco, a Vale Venture Joint Vale with BHP, leave behind insecurities related to the collapse of the structure, which occurred in 2015.
The agreement made in Brazil faces competition with an action against BHP that occurs in London, which seeks reparations and compensation for breaking to people and municipalities.
Earlier, the Supreme Court Minister (STF), Luíz Roberto Barroso, rejected a request made by the Minas Gerais Association of Municipalities (AMM) for an extension of the period of adherence to the repair agreement in Brazil, which provides 6.1 billion to be distributed in the 49 affected cities, such as reparation and compensation for the fall of a Samarco dam.
Of the municipalities that have joined so far, 20 are in Minas Gerais and six in Espírito Santo.
The amount is part of a global breach repair agreement, which provides for a total amount to be paid by Samarco and its controllers Vale and BHP of 170 billion reais for various entities, considering 132 billion new money and 38 billion already spent since the collapse of the structure in November 2015.
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The collapse of the Samarco Dam, a Vale Venture Joint Vale with BHP, Mariana (MG), poured a giant wave of iron ore tailings that buried communities, left 19 dead, hundreds of homeless and polluted the Doce River to the sea of the Holy Spirit.
Mariana’s mayor, Juliano Duarte (PSB), said last week that the most affected city of all would not join the repair agreement. Mariana would be entitled to R $ 1.3 billion of funds destined to municipalities in the agreement.
Mariana is even part of a new public civil action filed last week for a total of 21 cities that question the global agreement and ask for 46 billion reais in compensation for the cities, according to another document seen by Reuters.
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Asked, the office responsible for the action in London Pogust Goodhead reported early Thursday afternoon that 46 municipalities affected by the breakup were part of the English action, but that nine had decided to get out of the action.
In a statement, CEO and partner of the Pogust Goodhead international office, Tom Goodhead, said he was “proud of the resilience of these mayors” and that “there is a huge confidence in the success of the action in England.”
