Brazil confirms potential $18 billion deal with miners involved in deadly dam disaster

By Marta Nogueira

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – The Brazilian government confirmed on Monday it was in talks on a potential $18 billion payout from a trio of miners involved in a deadly 2015 dam collapse, saying the deal could also involve further repair work by the companies themselves.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Brazilian mining giant Vale and Australia’s BHP, together with their joint venture Samarco, could soon reach a deal to pay around 100 billion reais ($18.2 billion) in additional funds for repairs, with final terms of the agreement expected in October.

Energy and Mining Minister Alexandre Silveira confirmed the story in a Monday interview with local radio broadcaster Itatiaia, based in Minas Gerais state where the toxic spill took place.

Beyond the reparations under discussion, he said the talks also cover some 30 billion reais in remediation the firms would implement themselves, such as removing toxic mining waste from a local river.

The collapse of the dam at a Samarco iron ore mine near the city of Mariana nine years ago unleashed a wave of toxic tailings that killed 19 people, left hundreds homeless, flooded forests and polluted the length of the Doce River.

The miners have already paid out some 37 billion reais on remediation and compensation for the collapse of the tailings dam, Silveira said.

A previous proposal from the miners, which was not fully accepted by officials, had set a 82 billion reais payout to authorities in new resources plus another 21 billion reais in repairs the miners would implement.

Vale did not mention the amount of a potential deal in a response to a request for comment on Monday but repeated that it expected to reach a deal in October.

BHP and Samarco, meanwhile, confirmed the talks were ongoing in separate statements, adding they believe an agreement could be reached soon.

($1 = 5.5038 reais)