25/11/2015
Samarco has been a signatory to the Global Compact in Brazil since 2002. The Company respects the UN´s right to expression, however it affirms that all measures are being taken to provide emergency assistance to the families and communities affected and to mitigate the socioenvironmental consequences of this accident, with total commitment to society. Samarco further informs that, since the occurrence of the accident with its Fundão dam, on November 5th, it has been continually assuring society, authorities and the press that the material from the dams does not present any hazard to human health, as already specified in official certificates existing prior to the event. This material results from the process of the beneficiation of iron ore and consists basically of water, iron oxide particles and silica (or quartz).
New results of analyses commissioned by Samarco after the accident with SGS Geosol Laboratorios, a company specialized in environmental and geochemical analyses of soils, confirm that the tailings from the Fundão dam do not represent any hazard to people. The samples were collected on November 8th, at points close to Bento Rodrigues, Monsenhor Horta, Pedras, Barretos and Barra Longa, in Minas Gerais, and analyzed pursuant to Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 10004:2004. These sites were chosen for the collection of the samples due to their close proximity to the accident, thus making them more representative of the material that was contained in the dam.
The tests simulate several situations, such as handling of the tailings by any person without special precautions, exposure to rain for several years and contact with running water, such as torrents. The material was also analyzed to measure its level of acidity, neutrality or alkalinity (pH), its corrosiveness and the possibility of generating a violent reaction such as an explosion. In addition, the material was tested for the presence of the following substances: aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, lead, cyanide, chloride, copper, chrome, iron, fluorides, manganese, mercury, nitrate, silver, selenium, sodium, sulfate, zinc, phenols, coagulants and flocculants.
After the analyses of all these parameters, the tailings found in Bento Rodrigues, Monsenhor Horta, Pedras, Barretos and Barra Long were classified as non hazardous. This means that the material analyzed does not present any risk to human health, as it does not contain elements which may contaminate water, even with exposure to continued rainfall.
The results further show that the tailings collected in Bento Rodrigues contain iron and manganese at levels above the reference values of said standard, but still below the levels considered hazardous. However, as the general region of Mariana and Ouro Preto has soil rich in these two elements, these results were to be expected. It is important to point out that the standard ABNT 10004:2004 uses reference values based on the reality of Brazil as a whole, including regions which have soils poor in iron and manganese.
The test results have already been forwarded to the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources – the Federal Environmental Agency (IBAMA) and to the National Water Agency (ANA).
