In Brazil, investigators continue to search for reasons for the dam break with nearly 100 dead. The focus is now on an unusual „Express Approval“ from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The collapse of a dam in Brumadinho, Brazil, could possibly be the result of official failure. According to a report of the ARD studio South America, based on previously unpublished documents. According to the Environmental Secretariat of the State of Minais Gerais the mining company Vale approved the extension of the mines in Brumadinho, as well as activities at the long-abandoned dam.
In the documents, the safety risk of the broken dam is called „four“: medium risk. Earlier approvals, however, still spoke of risk level „Six“, which represents a higher risk. The Brazilian media spoke of an unusual „express approval“ and the right to increase mine production by 70 percent.
In connection with the disaster, there had also been five arrests on Tuesday: Affected are three employees of the operating company Vale and two employees of the Munich company Tüv Süd, which had examined the accident dam in September. At that time, no abnormalities or damage were found according to the company.
Criticism of weak environmental requirements
Judge Perla Saliba Brito, who issued the arrest warrant, wrote in her explanatory statement that the calamity could have been prevented. According to her, it is unbelievable that „dams of such size, operated by one of the largest mining companies in the world, suddenly break without any sign of susceptibility“.
Environmental concerns have long criticized that authorities would not control mining companies strictly enough. The reason for this is that environmental control agencies would not get enough resources from the government to control compliance with the law. In the criticism is also Brazil’s new president Jair Bolsonaro, who had proposed in the election campaign, mining companies in the future could grant licenses themselves.
According to the local civil protection authority, nearly 100 people were killed in the break of the dam of a retention basin last Friday. In addition, still 259 people are missing. For kilometers, the huge avalanche of scrubby mud rolled and destroyed parts of the facility and adjacent settlements. Among other things, the mud masses met the Cafetaria derMine, where at lunchtime numerous employees of the mine found themselves.
