Samarco, the Public Prosecution Service of Espírito Santo, the Federal Public Prosecution Service and the Labor Prosecution Service have signed a preliminary Term of Socioenvironmental Commitment (TCSA). The document serves to define actions and procedures to be undertaken in the municipalities of Baixo Guandu, Colatina, Linhares and Marilândia, to prevent and mitigate socioenvironmental impacts resulting from the rupture of the Fundão and Santarém dams in Mariana, Minas Gerais.
This commitment includes measures to assure the supply of water to the impacted areas, the presentation of the Emergency Plan for Containment, Prevention and Mitigation of Environmental and Social Impacts, such as the immediate rescue of land and water fauna, in addition to the establishment of communication channels with the communities of the affected municipalities.
Since the day of the accident, Samarco representatives, with the total support of its shareholders VALE and BHP Billiton, have been in meetings with the authorities of the State of Espírito Santo with the objective of aligning and reporting the measures adopted by the Company to help with the supply of potable and mineral water to the municipalities along the Doce River.
Highlights of the Term:
The preliminary TCSA outlines a series of emergency actions and commitments. The provisions are applicable to the municipalities of Baixo Guandu and Colatina, and, should the municipalities of Linhares and Marilândia be affected as well, the measures will be extended to them.
Here are some of the actions agreed to be taken:
Water supply
- In the event of an interruption in the intake of water, assure the public supply of water and its distribution, initially at the rate of 40 liters per day per inhabitant, raising this volume gradually until the full regularization of the service.
- Daily supply of two liters of potable water per inhabitant in the municipalities of Baixo Guandu, Colatina, Marilândia and Linhares, from the moment Samarco is informed, by representatives of each locality, of the interruption in the intake of water. The points for distribution of water to the population will be defined by the municipal authorities.
- Priority water supply to hospitals, schools, shelters and penitentiaries, with assured supply to hemodialysis centers.
- In coordination with Samarco, the municipalities may replace the obligations already defined by others which seek to assure the regular supply of water.
- In Colatina, if there is an interruption in the water intake, the supply of 130 water tank trucks for the withdrawal of raw water from an alternative source and its transportation to the water treatment plants installed in the city, 20 tanks of 30 thousand liters, mobile equipment for withdrawal of raw water from temporary intake points and hiring of a company specialized in the prospection and drilling of artesian wells.
- In Baixo Guandu, if there is an interruption in the water intake, the supply of 40 water tank trucks for distribution of treated water to meet the most urgent needs, two compact water supply plants, and two raw water pre-treatment systems.
- Along the same lines, provide 75 thousand liters of potable water per day in containers of 1, 2 and 5 liters to facilitate distribution to the population and arrange for the transfer of the city’s intake point to the Guandu River.Water quality
- Engage two accredited laboratories certified by Inmetro for the collection and analysis of water quality in the Doce River basin.Containment of the social and environmental impacts on the soil of Espírito Santo
- Propose actions to contain and treat the tailings that reach the Espírito Santo territory resulting from the accident with the dams.Water and land fauna
- Continuation of the land and water fauna rescue, with the support of environmental agencies, in order to prevent damages to the Doce River species and allow their reintroduction into their former environment.
- Engagement of an accredited laboratory certified by Inmetro for the collection and analysis of samples of species existing in the river and sea environment before and after the passing of the turbidity plume through the Doce River basin until its dispersion in the ocean.Access to information
- Creation of a committee in each municipality impacted by the accident to serve as liaison for dialogue with the communities, establishing and providing permanent communication channels.
- Creation of help centers for the population of each impacted municipality, at locations previously determined by the municipal government.Monitoring
- Technical reports and evaluations will be forwarded periodically to the Public Prosecution services to accompany and oversee the actions performed.
- Constitution of an Audit Committee for the preliminary TCSA, formed by representatives of the State, Federal and Labor Public Prosecution Services, representatives of the Doce River Basic Committee, responsibility of the local departments of Social Assistance, Civil Defense and Integrated Management Offices of the affected municipalities, representatives of the State Institute of Environment and Water Resources – Instituto Estadual de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos (IEMA) and of the Brazilian Environmental Institute – Instituto Brasileiro de Meio Ambiente (IBAMA); in addition to Samarco representatives.
