Survivors and families of victims of the Mariana dam collapse in Brazil are seeking compensation from mining giants Vale and BHP in a UK civil trial. The disaster, which occurred in November 2015, killed 19 people, mostly in Bento Rodrigues, and was Brazil’s worst-ever environmental catastrophe. The dam’s collapse, spewing toxic waste into the surrounding area, was caused by a joint venture between Vale and BHP named Samarco.
The trial started on 21 October in London, and if BHP loses, a second stage will determine who is entitled to further damages payments and how much. The Anglo-Australian firm maintains it had no operational control over the Brazilian joint venture. A separate Dutch court case is under way against Vale with around 70,000 plaintiffs. Samarco pledged to compensate the families of victims whose cases have been resolved.
Survivors stressed the immeasurable nature of their losses. Gelvana Rodrigues, whose son was seven when he died in the disaster, said: “Nothing can bring a life back… I just want justice so that no mother will be sitting here in the same place as me.” Veterans of the affected communities have also expressed their sense of displacement. Marcos Muniz, known as Marquinhos, had built his house on land his father had bought. Of the disaster, he said: “If I had known that in the future this would happen, that the place and the community where I was raised would be destroyed, I would definitely have stopped working there.”
Renova Foundation was launched by Vale and BHP in 2016 to compensate victims, though the companies deny liability. The foundation’s operations have included direct payments to affected people and the building of a new city, Novo Bento, to replace Bento Rodrigues. Over 100 people have resettled there so far, but some have not moved in because they believe their houses are not ready or they chose not to go
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