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With 35 wells connected to rock salt extraction, Braskem began to face one of Brazil’s biggest urban crises after the soil subsided in Maceió, capital of Alagoas, in Northeast Brazil, displacing thousands of families from their homes
Braskem went from a petrochemical giant to the central name in one of Brazil’s biggest urban and environmental crises. The company operated rock salt extraction in the subsoil of Maceió, capital of Alagoas, in Northeast Brazil, in areas that later registered subsidence, cracks, and mass evacuation.
The case affected neighborhoods such as Pinheiro, Mutange, Bebedouro, Bom Parto, and Farol. Entire streets lost residents, properties were condemned, and a significant part of the city began to be treated as a risk area.
The impact was not limited to the soil. The crisis disrupted routines, separated families from homes where they had lived for decades, and placed the company at the center of agreements, compensations, and public demands that still weigh on the Alagoas capital.
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Ground subsidence in a city in Northeast Brazil forces 60,000 residents to leave their homes after rock salt extraction opened cracks, emptied entire neighborhoods, and transformed traditional areas into almost abandoned zones.
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With areas sinking about 2 cm per year, a Brazilian city sees buildings tilt, streets crack, and the ground give way under the weight of constructions, landfills, and groundwater extraction, while the risk spreads across dozens of municipalities.
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Braskem exploited rock salt for over 40 years in urban areas of Maceió
Rock salt exploration occurred for decades in the subsoil of Maceió. The mineral was extracted in an urban region, beneath neighborhoods that already had houses, buildings, schools, commerce, and consolidated community life.
The Geological Survey of Brazil recorded that studies conducted between 2018 and 2019 investigated soil movement in neighborhoods where rock salt had been exploited for over 40 years. After the conclusion of the studies in 2019, Braskem’s activities were halted, and monitoring began to be coordinated by Maceió’s Civil Defense.
The crisis revealed the risk of mineral activity in a densely occupied area. When the soil began to move, the problem moved beyond the technical field and directly impacted the lives of thousands of residents.
35 salt wells were linked to the company’s operation in the affected neighborhoods
Braskem itself reports that there were 35 salt wells operated in the affected neighborhoods, already halted since May 2019. The company states that in November of that year, it proposed the preventive removal of residents from the buffer zone around these wells.
This initial area, according to the company, totaled approximately 550 properties. Later, the evacuation process advanced based on the Civil Defense map, reaching sections of Mutange, Pinheiro, Bebedouro, Bom Parto, and Farol.
The number of wells helps to gauge the scale of the operation. The crisis did not originate from an isolated point, but from an underground network linked to mineral extraction in an already inhabited city.
Subsidence became a national case after property evacuation and risk of collapse
The problem gained national dimension when the subsidence advanced and residents began to leave their homes. The Federal Public Ministry states that the case involves more than 14 thousand properties and approximately 60 thousand people directly affected by subsidence, the technical term for soil sinking.
From 2019 onwards, public agencies began to act in a coordinated manner to evacuate higher-risk areas and seek reparation. The declared priority was to avoid loss of life, while agreements attempted to organize compensations and mitigation measures.
The situation worsened again in November 2023, when seismic events and vertical soil movement were recorded in the region of cavity 18 during preparation for filling the structure.
Company created compensation program after neighborhoods became empty
Braskem created the Financial Compensation and Relocation Support Program to assist residents, property owners, and merchants in the unoccupied areas. The company states that approximately 14.5 thousand properties were included in the program.
As of March 2026, more than 19 thousand proposals have been made, with an acceptance rate exceeding 99%. The company also states that over 99.6% of the foreseen compensations have already been paid.
In addition to compensation, the program includes relocation, temporary rent, documentation support, new property search, and psychological assistance. Even so, the social damage surpasses the financial value, because it involves loss of territory, memory, and community.
Socio-environmental agreement placed reparation, monitoring, and the future of the neighborhoods on the company’s tab
In December 2020, public authorities and Braskem signed a Socio-environmental Agreement Term to address the impacts left by the evacuation. The document involves measures to repair, mitigate, or compensate for damages in Pinheiro, Mutange, Bebedouro, Bom Parto, and Farol.
The actions were divided into three fronts: socio-urbanistic area, environment, stabilization, and monitoring. The plan includes diagnosis, environmental measures, soil monitoring, and discussion about the future of the emptied areas.
Braskem states that the entire risk area defined by the Civil Defense in 2020 is 100% evacuated. This data shows the dimension of the transformation: regions previously occupied by families, commerce, and daily circulation now have permanent control.
New R$ 1.2 billion agreement expanded the financial cost of the disaster
In 2025, Braskem announced an agreement of R$ 1.2 billion with the state of Alagoas for compensation related to the ground collapse in Maceió neighborhoods. Agência Brasil reported that the disaster was caused by the rock salt extraction developed by the company.
The amount is to be paid over 10 years, with R$ 139 million already disbursed at the time of the announcement. The agreement also provides for compensation, indemnification, and reimbursement to the state for patrimonial and extra-patrimonial damages.
The negotiation shows that the case continues to produce financial and legal effects years after the start of residents’ removal. For the company, the episode ceased to be merely an operational issue and became a long-term liability.
Braskem case changed how Brazil views mining in urban areas
The tragedy in Maceió exposed the risk of underground activities in densely populated areas. When instability appeared on the surface, what was hidden underground began to control the fate of entire neighborhoods.
The company became associated with a crisis that combines mining, urban damage, compensation, environmental agreements, and forced displacement. For thousands of residents, the discussion is not just about soil, but about lost homes, dispersed neighbors, and an interrupted future.
The case also pressures companies, governments, and inspection bodies to treat mineral operations in urban areas with another level of rigor. In Maceió, capital of Alagoas, in Northeast Brazil, rock salt extraction left a mark that still redefines the city.
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