Crack in a South African mining company's dam is found in Minas Gerais and triggers an alert

The mining company is located in the municipality of Santa Bárbara, in the state of Minas Gerais and, so far, has issued a level 1 alert for its CDS II dam

Mining company AngloGold Ashanti, mining company company, declared a level 1 alert for the CDS II dam, located in the municipality of Santa Bárbara, in Minas Gerais. This information was passed on last Saturday, the 08th, after an inspection carried out on Friday, the 7th, by technicians from the National Mining Agency ANM who are monitoring the case.

The mining company stated in an AngloGold Ashanti press release that the decision is in line with the Emergency Action Plan for Mining Dams (PAEBM): “At this level, it is not necessary to activate sirens or evacuate the self-rescue zone, since there is no imminent risk of breakage. We emphasize that the competent authorities are being involved”.

Crack found is considered “common” according to the company

According to the company, after the routine investigation, the technical team found a centimeter-wide crack in the dam in Minas Gerais, which was considered common in a structure undergoing reinforcement works.

The mining company also stated that: “The change to level 1 is preventive and will continue until the presentation of the studies and analyzes of the specialized external audit confirming the safety and stability of the dam to the ANM. We emphasize that the CDS II dam has all the legal licenses, in addition to the stability condition statement issued by an external audit in September 2022”,

Also on Saturday, the mining company reported that it received the report prepared by a specialized external company, attesting that the safety factor of the CDS II dam, in Minas Gerais, is at a level above the recommended level, which proves the safety and stability of the structure. . The current safety factor is 1.82, i.e., higher than the minimum required by law, which is 1.50”.

More about dams: More than 100 families will benefit from energy from Certel's new hydroelectric plant at the Eclusa dam in Bom Retiro do Sul

On the morning of last Wednesday, the 24th, during a breakfast at its headquarters, authorities from Certel Cooperative announced that it would transform the Dam Lock, in Bom Retiro do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, in a hydroelectric plant. The project is scheduled to start operating in four years and will cost around R$ 250 million. According to Centel, the new hydroelectric plant will have the capacity to serve up to 100 families.

This announcement took place in the presence of state and regional government officials. This will be the seventh sustainable energy production unit that the cooperative owns and operates. During the announcement, three state secretaries were present: the secretary for the environment and infrastructure, Marjore Kauffmann, for urban and metropolitan development, Carlos Rafael Mallmann, and for justice and criminal and socio-educational systems, Mauro Hauschild. In addition to these, there were still present, mayors of several cities, councilors and municipal secretaries.