Credit: Marco Evangelista/MG Press
Yesterday, in Belo Horizonte, the Mariana Tragedy Re-Negotiation Commission reopened, led by the President of the Federal Regional Court for the Sixth District (TRF-6), Mônica Sifuentes. Governor Romeo Zema (Novo) participated in the meeting.
With the creation of TRF-6, in August 2022, the Authority is in charge of the case, already eliminated. The case’s rapporteur, Judge Ricardo Machado Rabelo, chose to conciliate to renegotiate the repair agreement for the Fundão dam break, in Mariana, in 2015.
The environmental tragedy released 39 million cubic meters of iron ore tailings, left 19 dead, destroyed entire communities and affected dozens of municipalities along the Duce River basin to its mouth, in Espiritu Santo.
Zima stated that it has already been proven that it is possible to solve problems of Mariana’s size in a shorter period of time compared to court cases. “The Brumadinho tragedy is an example that can serve as a lesson to be mastered in the case of Mariana,” he said.
Another inconvenience is the process that takes place in the UK. According to Zima, if that country’s judge reaches a decision, conciliation negotiations in Brazil could suffer. The lawsuit against Anglo-Australian mining company BHP Billiton, in the UK, has welcomed 500,000 new plaintiffs. Right now, there are 700,000 people and entities represented in the business.
