Mariana: Brief week’s news

The 13^th body, victim of the dam rupture of the mining company Samarco (Vale/BHP-Billiton), was found this Thursday (26). The body was found in the district of Ponte do Gama, municipality of Mariana (MG).

Up to this moment eight corpses have been identified. Last Friday afternoon (November 20^th , the identification of the body of Samarco’s worker, Samuel Vieira Albino, 34 years old, was officialized. Earlier that day, Samuel’s wife, Aline Ribeiro, and other family members had protested in Mariana to demand more ability and transparency’s in the search for the bodies.

This Saturday (November 21^st ), 17 days after the dam rupture, the mud reached the sea, through the city of Linhares (ES). The Justice of the state of Espirito Santo ordered to open the river Rio Doce outfall so that the mud would disperse quickly into the sea, against the decision of the Federal Court (ES), which had required, under penalty of R$ 10 million a day, to avoid the mud reaching the ocean.

There are about 300 families living in hotels in the city of Mariana (MG). The company’s goal is to move 25 families per week to houses and apartments rented by the company. There is no prediction when the communities will be rebuilt.

Samarco has not explained what caused the disruption of the Fundão dam. The causes and responsibility for what happened are being investigated by the Civil Police. The Senate must also create a Parliamentary commission of inquiry to investigate the case. The company had 300 million reais blocked by the Justice and has been fined in 250 million reais by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama). The State Secretariat for Supervision of the Environment imposed a fine of 112,690,376.32. Reais. Also in an agreement signed with the Federal Government Ministries and Minas Gerais, Vale and BHP will have keep a fund of 1 billion reais. These values ??are to repair the environmental and social damage caused by the company.

The police prisoned four young people of the Rural Land Less Workers Movement (MST) after a performance in solidarity to the victims by the dam rupture and against the new legislative code on mining (which “facilitates” the license for ming) in the Deputy Chamber, this Wednesday (25). The MST activists are accused of committing an environmental crime, for throwing mud (argilla and water, which was cleaned by them minutes after their intervention) on the walls of the Deputy Chamber. 200 popular attorneys (RENAP) are on watch front of the Specialized Police station. Meanwhile no one of Samarco (Vale/BHP Biliton) responsible for the environmental crimes and death of people due to the dam rupture are prisioned.