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Romeu Zema, Governor of Minas Gerais, declared that mining is an activity that causes harm to the environment, which means that the trend is for it to be less important to the state’s economy
The governor of the state of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Novo), states that mining has the trend of being less important to the state’s economy going forward. Zema bases this statement on the fact that this action causes harm to the environment. “Other activities that are less harmful to the environment are growing and making mining less predominant,” declared the governor in an interview.
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Romeu Zema also notes that Minas Gerais has a law approved in 2021 that ensures more than 50 dams are decommissioned. “The removal of this material does not happen quickly. There are mining companies that are ahead in their work, but it does not happen overnight,” he stated.
The governor also commented on the overflow of the dam over BR-040 that occurred yesterday in Nova Lima. Regarding this, Zema stated that the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais and the Attorney General’s Office have filed action against Vallourec, the company responsible for the dam at the mine. Furthermore, he informed that the request demands that the company be fined at a daily rate of R$ 1 million until the issue is resolved.
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According to Romeu Zema, citizens who suffered damages due to the accident also have the right to file a lawsuit. “The state is also seeking compensatory measures for the closure of the road, as the economic activity was harmed,” he affirmed.
“We are monitoring the situation of the state’s dams hour by hour. We hope that tragedies like those of Mariana and Brumadinho never happen again,” stated Zema, assuring that state technicians and the National Mining Agency are monitoring at-risk dams and that areas likely to have leaks have already been evacuated ahead of the rainy season.
Main Environmental Impacts of Mining
The most common environmental impacts caused by mining are: increased turbidity and variation in water quality; alteration of pH, which can make the water more acidic; soils and water contaminated with heavy metals; less dissolved oxygen in aquatic ecosystems, siltation of rivers, and polluted air.
Consequences of Rains in Minas Gerais
Governor Romeu Zema declared that the state of Minas Gerais has 154 municipalities that suffered damage from the heavy rains in recent days, but this number is expected to rise further after this weekend. “The state government has already allocated R$ 6 million in food baskets and hygiene kits for those who were displaced by the tragedies,” Zema said.
