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The Mining Company Vale Now Aims to Ensure More Safety for Operations in Minas Gerais and Announced a Billion-Dollar Investment in the De-characterization Project for Five Dams in the State by the End of 2022.
The miner Vale announced last Wednesday, (06/22), its new project for the de-characterization of dams in the state of Minas Gerais, as a way to prevent possible disasters in the future in the region. Thus, the company will invest R$ 2 billion over the next few months to ensure the completion of operations at five more dams located in the mining state, and intends to combine its efforts so that the de-characterization is completed within the scheduled timeframe.
Vale’s Dam De-characterization Project in the State of Minas Gerais Will Have a Total Investment of R$ 2 Billion by the End of 2022
The last few years have become increasingly sensitive in the mining sector regarding the use of dams in mineral production plants, due to the environmental disasters that occurred in Mariana and Brumadinho. Thus, following the recommendations of the National Mining Agency (ANM), several companies in the sector are investing in de-characterization works across Brazil, but mainly in the state of Minas Gerais, where they are concentrated.
Therefore, the mining company Vale announced last Wednesday its newest dam de-characterization project for 2022, which will have a total investment of R$ 2 billion and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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Thus, the company aims to end the year with 12 of its 30 upstream dams eliminated, which will represent the billion-dollar investment, allocated to the de-characterization works of the structures, which require equipment and skilled labor to ensure more safety in the construction plan.
Now, Vale intends to carry out the de-characterization of five new dams located in the state of Minas Gerais, as a way to accelerate the project to finalize these structures over the next few years. The structures that will undergo the process are the Auxiliary Dike of Dam 5, at Águas Claras Mine, in Nova Lima; Dikes 3 and 4 of the Pontal dam; the Ipoema dam, in Itabira; and the Baixo João Pereira dam, in Congonhas. All of these are located in the state of Minas Gerais and could pose risks to the environment surrounding the facilities.
The Dam De-characterization Project by the Miner Started Four Years Ago, But Still Requires Strong Investment for Completion in the Coming Years
The interest of the miner Vale in carrying out the de-characterization of the dams is not new, and the company has had its project for the completion of the structures for four years, making a billion-dollar investment so far. According to the mining company’s own data, approximately R$ 4.3 billion have already been invested in the de-characterization works of the structures.
Additionally, the company anticipates a total investment of R$ 20 billion by 2035, as a way to achieve the de-characterization of all dams and eliminate existing structures before disasters similar to those of Brumadinho and Mariana, in Minas Gerais.
However, to date, only seven structures have been eliminated, four in Minas Gerais and three in Pará, but the company aims to end the year 2022 with 12 inactive dams in the region.
Thus, the company stated that the 12 dams that will have been de-characterized by December represent a total volume of 46.9 million cubic meters of waste and will ensure more environmental safety in the region, preventing these residues from causing disasters again in the state.
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