BHP Group Found Liable for Brazil's Worst Environmental Disaster
A London judge has ruled global mining giant BHP Group liable for Brazil's 2015 Samarco dam collapse, which killed 19 people and caused widespread environmental devastation.
Overview
- A London judge has found global mining giant BHP Group liable for Brazil's worst environmental disaster, the 2015 Samarco dam collapse.
- The disaster occurred at an iron ore mine operated by Samarco, 50% owned by BHP, releasing mine waste equivalent to 13,000 Olympic pools.
- This catastrophic event killed 19 people, destroyed Bento Rodrigues village, and left thousands homeless, devastating communities downstream.
- The environmental impact included flooding forests, killing 14 tons of freshwater fish, and damaging 600 kilometers of the Doce River.
- Claimants are now seeking £36 billion in compensation, with the ruling attributing responsibility to BHP Group due to negligence or carelessness.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the severe human and environmental toll of the disaster and highlighting the judge's strong condemnation of BHP's negligence. They prioritize the victims' voices celebrating the ruling as a "historic victory," while presenting BHP's defense briefly and without elaboration, collectively building a narrative of corporate accountability for a devastating event.
"Victims of the disaster called the ruling a historic victory in seeking justice."
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FAQ
The Samarco dam collapse was caused by the decision to continue raising the height of the dam, which a London judge ruled was a direct and immediate cause of the disaster due to negligence or carelessness by BHP Group.
The collapse killed 19 people, destroyed the village of Bento Rodrigues, left thousands homeless, flooded forests, killed 14 tons of freshwater fish, and damaged 600 kilometers of the Doce River, causing the worst environmental disaster in Brazil.
Claimants are seeking approximately £36 billion in compensation from BHP Group. Previously, Brazil's government and states reached a separate £20 billion compensation agreement with Samarco, Vale, and BHP to fund social and environmental repairs over 20 years.
BHP Group is being tried in British courts because it was listed on the London Stock Exchange at the time of the dam collapse, giving the UK courts jurisdiction over the case brought on behalf of hundreds of thousands of victims.
Ten years after the disaster, reconstruction and reparations have been delayed by legal disputes, with indigenous communities like the Krenak people still struggling due to ongoing contamination of the Doce River.
History
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