Samarco Mineração : presents proposal for environmental rehabilitation of Fundão

Samarco presents proposal for environmental rehabilitation of Fundão

12/01/2017

Image: Perspective of Fundão 10 years after implementation of the PRAD

Samarco has filed with the State Environmental Agency (SEMAD) a Plan for Recovery of Degraded Areas (PRAD) for Fundão, located in the Mining Complex of Germano in Mariana. The document proposes guidelines based on geotechnical studies for the environmental reclamation of the site, including the definitive stabilization of the embankments and the remaining structures and tailings, in addition to the revegetation of the area. The actions outlined in the PRAD will only start being implemented after review and approval by SEMAD.

The proposal presented by Samarco in the PRAD consists of the use of sandy material to stabilize the area and created an even and safe surface, which will allow access for the revegetation actions.

All of the structures within Samarco's Germano complex are stable. However, there are still 13 million cubic meters of tailings inside the Fundão dam which need to be stabilized definitively. In this context, the filling of the dam with sandy material and subsequent revegetation were considered by Samarco to be the most efficient approach to the environmental rehabilitation of the site.

If the PRAD is approved as submitted, the sandy material will be contained inside Fundão by the Axis 1 dike, to be built with appropriate methodology, such as compacted soil, for example. The structure will not use the same construction technology used for the original Fundão dam, with upstream raising using tailings.

The Fundão PRAD was developed by Amplo Engenharia e Gestão de Projetos, a firm specialized in the development of recovery plans for degraded areas and with solid experience in mining projects. The geotechnical studies were developed by BVP Engenharia.

It is important to point out that the solution presented in the PRAD does not characterize the use of Fundão as a dam. The Company is presenting alternative solutions for tailings disposal as part of the licensing processes in progress for the Alegria Sul pit and the corrective operational licensing (LOC) for the overall Germano complex.