On November 5th, 2015, Brazil’s coast of Espírito Santo was contaminated by a large mining disaster. Rio Doce, located in southeast region of Brazil, displayed what “looks like brown gelatin spreading out to sea” according to Joca Thome, a national coordinator of marine conservation. [1] The spill was projected to expand along a 5.5-mile stretch of the coastline, endangering multiple national reserves and wildlife habitats.
The state of Minas Gerais was the first affected by this chemical leak. The dam, named Fundão, held large amounts of toxic sludge from previous mining projects. This spill caused fifteen deaths and another sixteen severe injuries to individuals exposed to Rio Doce. The thick mud filled with harmful chemicals, destroyed large portions of the plant and animal life along the coast, and drastically reduced the amount of oxygen in the water which threatened marine life.
Illegal levels of mercury and arsenic were reportedly found in Rio Doce just days after the dam collapsed. The arsenic levels were ten times more than the legal limit allowed in the water on top of having unprecedented high levels of mercury. Tests were taken by the Institute for Water Management in Minas Gerais (IGAM) in seven different locations[2]. Prosecutors denied the damages that had been proven by established environmentalists who tested the water, and countered the allegations against Samarco, a joint venture between Brazilian Firm Vale and BHP Billiton Company.
Fisherman were hired to set up barriers to protect Rio Doce from the expansion of the chemicals. The widening of the port that led to sea was to ensure that the mud would drift out of 
the estuary quickly. But just days after this process was started, substantial amounts of fish began to float dead to the surface and wash up on the shoreline.
Contrary to what well-educated scientists and environmentalists have proven through various tests, Samarco has repeatedly stated that the mineral waste released is non-toxic. According to their tests and evidence, the contamination would not cause any harm to humans. Tommasi Laboratorio was hired by Espirito Santo’s environmental agency to perform mineral testing on the water. The lab owner, Bruno Tommasi, stated “Different types of arsenic cause varying levels of harm and our tests did not specify what type of arsenic was in the water,” causing inconclusive data to be traced back to the health effects to the population.[3] By not identifying the strand of arsenic infecting the water, Samaraco didn’t have to claim responsibility for the health consequences.
While Samaraco agreed to pay for the clean up costs ($250 million) and the fine set by the the federal environmental agency ($66 million), but two and a half years later, these reparations have not been paid in full. Unfortunately, Brazil experienced another detrimental mining leak just a few years after Samarco’s tragedy.[4]
On March 12th, 2018, Norsk Hydro’s Alumina refinery ruptured causing contamination to a nearby river. The mine is located in Brazil’s northern amazon region in the
state of Barcarena, and is the largest alumina refinery in the world. Similarly, to the incident happening just two years’ prior, the company responsible, Anglo-American, denies any harmful effects to citizens. The company’s operations were halted for only 15 days after the burst of the pipeline.
The multinational company’s profits from large nations like China are tied to an increase demand for Brazilian iron-ore. The heavy investment Anglo-American was receiving for the production of the iron drove this push for the reopening of the mine. In reality, a spill as prominent as the one in Barcarena could not have repaired the damages in just a few weeks. The company sent out a memo to government authorities identifying the reason for the leak as well as a promise that the serious environmental damage would not occur and the preservation of the water supply would be a priority. Allegations have been made against the corporation for fraudulent employment of environmentalists to confirm their false statements about the damage.
Communities surrounding Barcarena and that were effected by this leak are not taking claims lightly. Anglo-American Company has been fined $37.73 million, not making a dent in the company’s $19.8 billion net worth, in pollution damages caused by the pipeline that carries the iron ore from the Minas-Rio mine. Just two days after restarting mining operations, Brazil experienced another leak at the hands of Anglo-American Company.
As stated by environmental regulator Semad, the first spill, “caused pollution and environmental degradation that resulted in damage to water resources and may have caused harm to public health and the wellbeing of the population,” the Anglo-American Company should have cleaned up the leak and decontaminated the water supply before resuming operation.[5] The time it takes to fulfill these tasks could be years, it was unrealistic that the problem would be solved from closing between March 12th– March 27th—just over two weeks.
The fines against the Anglo-American Company are only predicted to grow because of the second leak. The multinational corporation has yet to comply with the penalties granted from their consistent mining disasters.
Mining will always involve environmental disasters because of the aggressive nature of the extraction process. Multinational mining corporations need to be aware that leaks are inevitable when operations become complex and large scale. The devastation that can be caused from these spills is significant and must be recognized by the corporations actively trying to expand.
Throughout this article it is proven that thousands are effected by these mining tragedies. Corporations like Samaraco and Anglo-American fail to take these consequences seriously and are now being heavily charged. If these multinational corporations cannot fix the pipeline leaks and guarantee the safety of indigenous peoples, then they should at least pay for the clean-up in a timely manner. While these terms seem justified, communities still struggle to receive justified compensations and obtain respect from multinational corporations.
[1] Reuters, “Arsenic and mercury found in river days after Brazil dam burst”, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/26/brazil-dam-arsenic-mercury-rio-doce-river, line 9.
[2] Reuters, “Arsenic and mercury found in river days after Brazil dam burst”, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/26/brazil-dam-arsenic-mercury-rio-doce-river, line 29-32.
[3] Reuters, “Brazil state fines Anglo American $37.73 million over pipeline leak”, http://www.mining.com/web/brazil-state-fines-anglo-american-37-73-million-pipeline-leak/, line 26.
[4] Cecilia Jamasmie, “BHP injects $250 million into Samarco for clean-up”, http://www.mining.com/bhp-injects-250-million-samarco-clean/, line 3.
[5] Reuters Staff, “Brazil state fines Anglo American 125.6 mln reais over pipeline leak”, https://www.reuters.com/article/anglo-american-brazil-fine/brazil-state-fines-anglo-american-125-6-mln-reais-over-pipeline-leak, line 10-12.