BRASILIA: Federal and state governments in Brazil say they will sue iron ore miner Samarco and its co-owners BHP Billiton and Vale for US$5.2 billion for the damage caused when a dam burst earlier this month, creating an environmental disaster.
Officials say the wave of mud that spilled into the Doce River on November 5 left an estimated nine tons of dead fish, polluted 850 kilometers of waterways and contaminated the source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo states. At least 13 people died in the incident.
Brazil’s environment minister Izabella Teixeira has said that the companies will be sued to deal with the consequences of the burst dam over the next 10 years. She, however, warned that the price tag could still be increased.
“Whatever was lost there is lost forever, the biological chain won’t be reconstructed,” Teixeira said in a press conference.
Later, BHP and Vale announced the creation of a fund to deal with the tragedy, but didn’t mention the US$5.2 billion figure or the 10-year plan.
