13/05/2016
Samarco has finished building a retaining wall at the edge of the Carmo River, in Barra Long. The structure is 272 meters long and serves as a protection of the river bank close to the houses and lots in the neighborhood of Morro Vermelho. The construction is a gabion wall, with a reinforced, flexible structure, with good drainage, and highly durable and resistant.
Gabions are made of a mild steel wire mesh, annealed and galvanized, double twist, fastened at the ends and at the top with larger diameter wire. These gabions are filled with pebbles or crushed rock, and stacked, preserving the capacity to drain water and stabilize the slope which was damaged by the passage of the tailings. This solution provides additional reinforcement of the earth and more safety to the houses built there.
In addition to the construction of the retaining wall, Samarco also concluded the renovation of 51 homes and 23 stores. The main square of the town has been totally cleaned up, and, in a collaborative effort with the community, a new architectural design is being developed for the site. The Company has also delivered 1800 tons of bagged corn silage, in addition to cornmeal, hay, wheat bran, soy meal and feed for dogs, horses and dairy cows, among other animals. In all, some 3000 animals have been taken care of at the farms in the region of Barra Longa and 107 thousand meters of fencing installed in the rural properties.
