the world’s second-largest iron ore producer is undertaking further inspections of the Forquilha III dam at the Fabrica mine in Ouro Preto following the discovery of surface cracks during a routine check Located in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais the Forquilha III dam is under close scrutiny after the routine inspection Vale stated that the dam is “permanently monitored” and that additional checks are being conducted to ensure its safety “Vale reinforces that the structure’s stability conditions remain unchanged,” the miner was quoted as saying by Bloomberg  The company has communicated with authorities regarding the investigation and corrective measures being taken at the dam It is also focused on “the reduction of its emergency level” Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis Vale has implemented a “downstream containment structure” and evacuated communities within the “self-rescue zone” The latest move follows the tragic events at the Samarco iron ore mine in 2015, where a tailings dam collapse led to the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history displacing hundreds and polluting waterways with toxic mining waste The Samarco mine is a joint venture between Vale and BHP Four years later in 2019, the failure of Vale’s Brumadinho dam killed 270 people and caused significant environmental destruction leading to a loss of more than $4bn in Vale’s market value The Security and Exchange Commission sued Vale over this failure accusing the company of falsifying dam safety audits and obtaining fraudulent stability certificates since 2016 Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Our strategic planning and organization reflect our efforts to turn sustainability challenges into transformational opportunities We aim to operate responsibly and enhance positive impacts for people Access the page Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities We have worked tirelessly to accomplish our mission of repairing and compensating the damage caused to the people and to the land affected notably the article published by the news portal G1¹ (“Vale” or “Company”) clarifies that the Forquilha V dam remains with unchanged and adequate stability conditions The structure has both positive Stability Condition Declaration ("DCE") and Conformity and Operability Declaration ("DCO") in force.  Click here to access the Press Release.  ¹With the title “Dam in Ouro Preto enters alert situation after identification of cracks in the structure”, available here (only in Portuguese).  we couldn't find what you were looking for 2024 – In attention to press reports that address the safety conditions of the Forquilha  III dam the article entitled “Vale detects anomaly in Ouro Preto dam  drain” published by the Brazilian media outlet Portal G1 Minas (“Vale” or “Company) clarifies that the  detection analysis and correction of anomalies in a tailing dam structure is a normal procedure within the  tailings and dams' management system and is aligned with the industry's global standards (GISTM) The accumulation of sedimented material at the outlet of a drainage device was detected on March 15 2024.  The company promptly reported the condition to authorities and developed an action plan together with the  Brazilian National Mining Agency (“ANM”) and the independent technical audit company that supervises the  structure and its decharacterization works All instruments installed to  monitor the structure did not show any changes in its conditions It is noteworthy that Vale activated the level 3 emergency protocol for the Forquilha III dam in 2019 when was  carried out the evacuation of its Self-Rescue Zone (“ZAS”) The Company will continue to diligently supervise the safety performance of the Forquilha III dam and will continue to take actions to establish satisfactory safety and stability levels for the structure Two close associates of Mozambique’s leading opposition candidate were gunned down in Maputo on Saturday as they prepared to challenge the contested elections another candidate from the Podemos party backing Mondlane were traveling in a vehicle in the center of the capital when they were surrounded by other vehicles and shot dead Podemos head Albino Forquilha confirmed the killings while the national lawyers’ association expressed “deep shock” at Dias’ death called the “repugnant” murders an “act of intimidation” undermining democracy Police said an investigation had been started but did not immediately confirm the identities of the two slain men Images posted to social media showed the bloody bodies of the two victims inside the vehicle Witnesses said that two attackers had fired about 20 shots after several vehicles surrounded the two victims’ car early on Saturday The EU issued a statement condemning the killings of Dias and Guambe and calling for a full and transparent investigation “that will bring to justice those responsible for this outrageous crime.” there is no place for politically motivated killings,” it said Mozambique is awaiting official nationwide results from the elections who mounted a challenge to the Frelimo party that has ruled Mozambique since its independence 49 years ago claimed victory almost immediately after polling day He has alleged electoral fraud as Frelimo claims to be leading in the ballot counts and has urged his supporters to paralyze the southeast African nation by joining a nationwide protest with a planned march starting from the murder scene Dias made a name for himself last year after accusing authorities of fraud in municipal elections won by Frelimo he had expressed fears over a plan to assassinate him The ruling party said in a statement that it rejected “vehemently this macabre act” and called on “all authorities to do everything in their powers to shed light on this affair.” About a dozen lawyers on Saturday morning gathered near the scene of the crime Mondlane joined about 100 supporters who held a vigil in Maputo VALE has put three more of its Brazilian mine tailings dams on the highest level of alert – level 3 – bringing the total to four. Brazil’s Mining and Energy Secretary said that a level 3 alert means “a rupture is imminent or already happening,” reports The Guardian Earlier this year a Vale mine tailings dam collapsed in Brumadinho Dam 1 of the Córrego do Feijão mine collapsed on 25 January and as of 30 March 217 people are confirmed dead and 84 people are missing The areas surrounding B3/B4 and Forquilha I and III had been evacuated in February sirens in the Self-Rescue Zone (ZAS) of the dams were triggered when the alert levels were raised The ZAS is the area 10 km downstream of the dam or “the equivalent to the arrival of the flood wave in 30 minutes” Vale is responsible for alerting the population of the ZAS The alerts were raised as a preventative measure because an independent safety auditor indicated that the structures would not receive stability condition declarations This is because the safety factor of the dams is below the new limit established by Brazil’s National Mining Agency (ANM) on 18 February On 18 February a resolution by the ANM was published in an official journal of Brazil’s federal government. The resolution established regulatory measures aimed at ensuring the stability of mining dams. Measures included a ban on upstream tailings dams. Dam 1 was an upstream dam, as was a Samarco dam which collapsed in 2015 Samarco is a joint-venture of BHP Billiton and Vale with the support of Minas Gerais’ Civil Defense and “other competent bodies” to guide Secondary Self-Rescue Zone (ZSS) residents through training and evacuation drills in case of a dam breach The ZSS is an area outside of the ZAS where flooding could occur in the event of a collapse Vale added that “it continues to adopt a series of preventive measures to increase the safety condition of its dams” Article by Amanda Jasi Fatal dam breach in Brazil leaves hundreds missing Update: Number killed in Brazil dam breach reaches 99 Update: 134 confirmed dead after Brazil dam breach Update: 157 confirmed dead after dam breach in Brazil Update: 165 people confirmed dead after Brazil dam breach Process Engineer - Safety Specialist Process Engineering Lead Process Engineer - Upstream Process Engineer - Lower Carbon A conversation with the experts: watch the recordings of our previous webinars and sign-up to attend future online webcasts You do not have to be a chemical engineer to join IChemE Our global membership community includes people from a range of disciplines who have an interest in and/or relevant experience in chemical engineering View a wider selection of the archive from within the Magazine section of this site We offer readers a flexible range of subscription options and you are certain to find one that suits your needs Process Engineer - Safety Specialist view job Process Engineering Lead view job Process Engineer - Upstream view job Process Engineer - Lower Carbon view job Quality Engineer view job Process Control and Simulation Lead view job Process Controls Engineer view job Process Controls Engineer - Alarm Management view job © 2025 Institution of Chemical Engineers Site by Technical Labs Cape Town — Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo and several civil society and opposition leaders signed a "compromise agreement" on Wednesday for an "inclusive national dialogue" in Maputo and tensions increased after a protest was broken up with tear gas and live ammunition today The government denied reports that Mondlane's convoy came under "a barrage of gunfire" during the demonstration saying police had been instructed to stop any attempt to disrupt the signing ceremony which aims to"restore political and social stability" in the country after months of deadly protests and police action after the October election had previously formed an alliance with Venancio Mondlane in the last elections when Forquilha's party decided to join the Mozambican National Assembly Mondlane called it a betrayal and ended his relationship with Podemos Forquilha called for a "developed and reconciled Mozambique" and urged the people of Mozambique to show "goodwill" to end the country's crises Chapo called for the "reconciliation" of Mozambicans and condemned the "violent Mondlane's supporters called the police action during today's demonstration an "ambush" in which two children were reportedly shot dead and 16 people injured AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals representing a diversity of positions on every topic We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you There was a problem processing your submission This is the fifth in a series by journalist Anna Sophie Gross who traveled to the Brazilian states of Tocantins and Maranhão in Legal Amazonia for Mongabay to assess the impacts of agribusiness on the region’s environment and people dozens of families lived peacefully in the small traditional community of Forquilha (pronounced Fork-quill-ya) in the Cerrado annually planting crops and raising animals a wealthy entrepreneur arrived and began converting native vegetation on communally shared lands into eucalyptus plantations he would sell the trees to the Suzano pulp and paper company to help feed a global demand for Kleenex tissues and Andrex toilet paper smashed furniture and threatened to kill community members The thugs came with a message: Renato Miranda had always owned local lands and the community had unlawfully invaded his property The people were told they had eight days to pack up their belongings and leave desperate,” remembers Antonia Luis Ramalho Lima a 54 year-old wife and mother who still lives on a smallholding in Forquilha where she raises livestock and grows crops for herself and her family and threatened murder unless the family abandoned their homestead depriving a traditional family of their basis for survival Three elderly community members died that year though many individuals fell into severe chronic depression just crying,” recalls Maria Sonia Silva de Carvalho wife and mother to those taken to the river I still hear the van passing the house at night Forquilha’s citizens sought government help Attempts to log complaints with local authorities were ignored “We couldn’t go to the police because they were on his [Renato Miranda’s] side,” explained Marcione Martins Ramalho had accompanied the armed thugs on one of their visits the traditional community received an assist from Diego Cabral a lawyer who was shocked to learn that a legal process was underway to expel the families from their homes no verdict has been reached in either case Uncertainty reigns and residents fear that the physical and psychological threats will start again the eucalyptus trees are already growing big they remain mostly un-harvested and unsold the terror experienced by Forquilha’s citizens likely feels remote and unlinked to our daily lives and European Union tissue consumers at the end of the eucalyptus supply chain may unwittingly be fuelling land conflict the violent displacement of traditional communities and the illegal clearing of large swathes of native vegetation in Brazil this merger will make Suzano the biggest pulp and paper company in the world The firm already has a gigantic environmental footprint controlling more than 1.2 million hectares (4,600 square miles) in Brazil – though once it owns Fibria it will oversee an area almost twice that big A chief buyer of Brazilian pulp is Kimberly-Clark manufacturer of many popular toilet paper and tissue brands Kimberly-Clark confirmed to Mongabay that it sources a significant amount of eucalyptus in Brazil from Fibria and Suzano pulp which it uses to make “tissue and towel products like Scott eucalyptus plantation expansion often comes hand-in-hand with serious conflicts over land leading to the supplanting of native and traditional people According to human rights advocates and NGOs eucalyptus growers have regularly exploited weaknesses in land rights regulations while conflicts have been aggravated by the government’s incentivization of eucalyptus expansion via subsidies and investment Activists in the northern state of Maranhao claim Suzano itself has behaved similarly to farmers like Renato Miranda stealing land from traditional communities displacing families and making livelihoods untenable Renato Miranda was not the only entrepreneur who decided to start planting non-native eucalyptus in Maranhao the majority of Brazilian eucalyptus was grown in the Atlantic Forest biome But then Suzano massively expanded its operations in the North The company inaugurated its first pulp mill in the region in 2015 located just outside the Maranhão city of Imperatriz Suzano announced that it had funding for two more pulp mills Agribusiness entrepreneurs rubbed their hands together thinking eucalyptus would soon become the next big Cerrado cash crop Farmers rushed to claim large swathes of land in places like Forquilha Suzano itself also staked claim to land in the region – roughly 300,000 hectares (1,200 square miles) – though the company declined to provide Mongabay with a precise figure However, the company’s expansion has not been a smooth ride for all. According to activists and academics, in several instances, Suzano claimed land that was already being used by traditional communities for small-scale agriculture and fruit-picking – their primary means of subsistence. The company struck deals with community leaders to prevent conflict though many on the ground say that local livelihoods have been sorely impacted who runs the Center for Human Rights in the municipality of Santa Quiteria described Suzano’s arrival in 2002 as catastrophic for local communities which often did not have deeds but had lived comfortably “Suzano waltzed in and called itself owner of these lands brandishing documents which we consider false,” he said they had security guards and police by their side.” traditional communities have successfully appealed to local government to reassert ownership of property that they historically occupied judges sympathetic to Suzano’s direct appeals have ruled that the communities invaded the company’s property and so upheld the company’s right to the land there are currently 23 communities in conflict with Suzano in Santa Quiteria Many of these land conflicts result from the fact that Suzano must maintain 20-25 percent of its claimed territory as a “legal reserve” – lands left with native vegetation intact Suzano has claimed un-deeded lands previously belonging to traditional communities for its reserves – a process known as “green land-grabbing.” Once these tracts are designated “legal reserves,” the communities are restricted as to what they can and cannot do on the land Chagas told of one case in which a security guard contracted by Suzano physically threatened a community leader for using wood from a tree in one of these “natural reserves” – a forest area the community had previously been free to exploit A recent study by University of Maranhão academics enumerates associated environmental impacts due to Suzano’s operations in the north of the state pesticide pollution and a severe reduction in biodiversity rigorously complies with all laws and regulations involving its business activities including with regard to the purchase of land for planting new crops This practice is verified by industry organizations such as the Bahia State Association of Forestry Companies (ABAF) and the Brazilian Forestry Industry Association (Ibá) by Brazilian regulators and by international certification agencies.” Suzano’s eucalyptus dreams in the North have as yet failed to fully materialize Many of the plantations in the state – planted by the company and its contractors – remain un-harvested explained why: if a eucalyptus plantation is outside the 300 kilometer (180 mile) radius of a Suzano processing plant transport of the trees is too expensive to be profitable “Everyone who started planting eucalyptus outside of Suzano’s radius Renato Miranda was one such plantation owner – to date demand for tissue and toilet paper is on the rise And while Suzano’s eucalyptus plantations in Maranhão go un-harvested awaiting the day they can be harvested and turned to profit at a time when there was no legislation in place to protect their land rights an environmental and social coalition in Espirito Santo said that the company has also deforested areas along the São Domingos River known as “mata ciliar” (or forest eyelashes) Brazil’s Forest Code bans the removal of native vegetation along rivers lakes and reservoirs because it serves as habitat for native plants and animals Fibria responded that it “does not adopt or condone illegal practices in its operations which is a concern that extends to their sponsored companies It’s not surprising that Suzano and Fibria have controversial records regarding land conflicts Experts say that the Brazilian government has largely failed to regulate the pulp and paper industry and hasn’t enforced traditional community land protections while providing serious financial backing to the industry Plantation owners typically receive large government subsidies recouping around 75 percent of the costs of production over three years the Brazilian National Investment Bank (BNDES) one of the world’s biggest development banks has invested generously in pulp and paper companies BNDES owns significant stakes in both Suzano and Fibria Suzano’s purchase of Fibria will provide the bank with approximately R$ 8.5 billion (US $2.1 billion) with BNDES retaining 11 percent control of the combined company “It’s shocking actually how much the Brazilian government stimulates a concentration of corporate wealth and power,” said Simone Lovera Executive Director of the Global Forest Coalition (GFC) an international alliance of NGOs defending the rights of forest peoples She points out that what’s good for business isn’t necessarily good for the environment. “There’s nothing worse you can do to land than plant eucalyptus. And yet, up until today, these [large Brazilian eucalyptus plantations] are funded by climate finance as ‘reforestation’,” Lovera said According to Brazil’s National Climate Commitment, made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, the federal government will offset its carbon emissions by reforesting 12 million hectares (46,000 square miles), of which only 2 million will be native forest cover while 10 million hectares (39,000 square miles) will consist of monoculture plantations – including eucalyptus The argument that large-scale monoculture tree plantations are effective carbon sinks that help mitigate climate change is deeply in question, according to the World Rainforest Movement (WRM) This Uruguay-based NGO says that the conversion of South America’s grasslands into tree plantations destroys existing carbon sinks with carbon storage short-lived because the trees will be cut down Scientists note that non-native eucalyptus plantations support little biodiversity while also sucking up vast amounts of water which can adversely impact stream flow and aquifers vital to subsistence farmers and herders stating that: “research conducted by experts shows that water consumption by eucalyptus cultivation is no different from that of other crops.” “Suzano isn’t scared of the [Brazilian] government it’s scared of European consumers,” said Calazans More than 70 percent of the company’s net revenue comes from exports shipped to more than 90 countries – for paper pulp alone that percentage rises to 91 percent While Kimberly-Clark (KC) openly admits to using Fibria and Suzano pulp to make Kleenex tissues and Andrex toilet paper “As one of the world’s largest buyers of wood pulp we know that protecting our forests is critical to addressing climate change conserving biodiversity and ensuring a resilient Kimberly-Clark reported making a multi-stakeholder visit to Fibria and Suzano eucalyptus plantations in Bahia and Espirito Santo states in March during which they found that “significant progress is being made by the companies but [that] there is more work to do.” A spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium told Mongabay that: “The British Retail Consortium’s members typically sell products that contain paper that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which demands that products are sourced without destroying forests and that the wellbeing of workers and their local communities are protected.” Lovera is sceptical about the effectiveness of the FSC certification system “The Forest Stewardship Council has a massive stake in certifying eucalyptus plantations,” she said noting that the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has set ambitious targets to assure that consumers have a sufficient supply of FSC certified wood That in turn has placed pressure on the FSC to certify many eucalyptus monocultures with potentially dubious social and environmental footprints “It’s super cynical because FSC now has a vested interest in the increased development of monoculture plantations,” Lovera said the FSC conceded that Fibria and Suzano’s operations in the states of Espírito Santo and Bahia have “always been surrounded by controversies and disagreements raised by social movements and other interested parties.” But FSC added that all their certified forest plantations are subject to annual audits and that they “do not have evidence of any current non-conformities… in relation to rural migration movement caused by the certified companies.” saying: “We currently deem FSC to be the most credible certification scheme because of its multi-stakeholder process governance structure and because it has systems in place to ensure that standards are applied Research has shown that FSC is more demanding than any other forest certification scheme and has positive impacts on the ground.” Clearly, with the world’s population soaring from 7.6 billion today to 9.8 billion in 2050 the demand for toilet paper and tissues will skyrocket too wanting to capitalize on that demand with new eucalyptus plantations the realities put forth by the Forest Stewardship Council and Suzano diverge from those of the citizens of traditional communities like Forquilha where Maria Sonia Silva de Carvalho still shakes with fear when she hears a van passing in the night Mongabay contributor Anna Sophie Gross was accompanied on her trip by Thomas Bauer a photographer and filmmaker who has been documenting and supporting communities in the Cerrado and Amazon for over 20 years He produced nearly all of the photos and videos for this series FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] The Brazilian miner said that the structure remains stable Already have an account? 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