With the news of late being dominated by a narrow range of security-related issues what is being called the worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history has not been getting the attention it deserved.
We are now more than two weeks into the disaster and the scale of damage is only now becoming visible.
On November 5 a mining dam in the mineral-rich province of Minas Gerais failed, releasing 50 million cubic metres of toxic mud into the River Doce basin. The mudslide’s immediate effects were deadly. It washed away the historic town of Bento Rodrigues, killing 11 people. Another 12 are still missing. But the long-term effects could be deadlier still.
The mud is spoil from mines owned by the world’s number one miner, Anglo-Australian BHP Billeton, in partnership with Brazil’s Vale. Another Brazilian company,
Samarco, manages the mine’s dams in a joint venture. Another two dams servicing the mines have been weakened and could collapse, and emergency work is underway on one to try and prevent that happening.
The mud is rich in iron ore and silica, and contains deadly heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, chromium, zinc, copper and manganese, all at concentrations that are dangerous for organisms. The Rio Doce is one of Brazil’s most important rivers, and hundreds of thousands of people depend on it for drinking and irrigation water.
It joins the Atlantic east of Linhares at Regência, whose beaches are prized by tourists and locals alike. A village of some 2000 people, it is dependent on tourism, fishing, and marine conservation. This disaster could wipe it and many others like it out.