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The resumption of operations was announced earlier this month by the Mariana City Council, but the production of mineral pellets resumed on Wednesday (23)
The mining tragedy that left 19 dead in Mariana, in the central region of Minas Gerais, was barely five years old when in early December the municipality assured the return of Samarco operations in the Germano complex. Twelve days after the announcement, the production of the first mineral pellets at the Ubu unit, in Espírito Santo, this Wednesday (23), marks the categorical return – and gradual, according to the company’s management – of the activities.
In Mariana, the return will be from a concentrator in the Germano complex and, together with the Ubu plant, it is expected to produce eight million tons of ore per year.
Authorizations to restart operations were granted approximately one year and two months ago, in October 2019, by Chamber of Mining Activities of the State Council for Environmental Policy (Copam), which decided to grant the Corrective Operation License (LOC) to the mining company.
Exactly twelve months later, already in October, Samarco began the cold and hot commissioning of the structures of the Germano complex to verify the operation of the equipment and “guarantee the safety of operations”, as stated in a note sent to report on Wednesday night. The return, according to the general director of the mining company, Rodrigo Vilela, will be safe and gradual.
“We made the decision to return gradually, in a very safe way and using new technologies. This moment reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable restart, operational safety, the environment, and relationships with communities. We are committed to modern, safe and sustainable mining ”.
Given the change, a system was implemented that includes filtering of waste for dry stacking, the extracted water, according to Samarco, will be reused. Another turning point, according to the mining company, revolves around safety. The Monitoring and Inspection Center (CMI) was created, Samarco said, which will verify in real time the stability of geotechnical structures linked to mining.
The return of mining operations was announced earlier this month by Mariana Mayor Duarte Júnior. At that time, he declared that the population of the municipality appreciates the resumption of Samarco’s activities, but also expects the full repair of the damage caused by the 2015 disaster, which until then has not occurred.
The Fundão dam, managed by Samarco, broke on November 5 of that year and the tragedy left 19 dead. Communities such as Centro Rodrigues and Paracatu de Baixo were swallowed up by the mud, which also reached the Rio Doce. So far, the reconstruction of Novo Bento Rodrigues, a resettlement that will house families still rented, has not been completed.
(With Rafaela Mansur)
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