Congonhas Suspends Vale’s Mining Permits After Back-to-Back Water Releases as Minas Gerais Moves to Fine Company

Overview

• Two separate incidents were recorded within about 24 hours, first at Vale’s Mina de Fábrica and then at Mina Viga, with the latter discharging into the Rio Maranhão.
• News reports cite volumes in the hundreds of thousands of cubic meters, and the overflow from Fábrica inundated CSN Mineração’s Pires unit without injuries.
• The Congonhas city government suspended Vale’s operating permits for the Fábrica and Viga units and issued infractions requiring containment, monitoring access to data, and a recovery plan.
• The Minas Gerais environment secretariat identified sediment transport and siltation in tributaries of the Maranhão River, will fine Vale including for delayed accident reporting, and ordered cleanup and desilting.
• The energy minister directed the ANM to investigate with strict inspections and possible interdictions, while Vale halted the affected operations, attributed the events to heavy rain, reported no community impact, and said its dams remain stable.