Ibama fines mining company Vale R$ 250 million.

Brazil Agency - The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) today (26) fined the mining company Vale R$ 250 million. The company is responsible for the tailings dam that broke yesterday (26) in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte.

"The mining company Vale, responsible for the socio-environmental catastrophe that occurred yesterday afternoon (25) in Brumadinho (MG), was fined by Ibama this Saturday (26/01) in R$ 250 million", says a note from the agency.

The fine amounts to five infraction notices totaling R$ 50 million each – the maximum allowed under the Environmental Crimes Law. The notices were issued based on Decree 6514/2008.

Vale is being fined for causing pollution that could result in harm to human health; rendering urban or rural areas unsuitable for human habitation; causing water pollution that necessitates the interruption of water supply; causing, through the emission of effluents or the transport of materials, the death of biodiversity specimens; and for releasing mining waste into water resources.

The damage resulted from the collapse of dams at the Córrego do Feijão mine. The affected area and the effects on the region's fauna and flora have not yet been inventoried.

According to a statement from Ibama, agents from the institute sent to Brumadinho are "monitoring the advance of the tailings, assessing the environmental damage, and working on the search for missing persons and the rescue of people and animals that were isolated due to the disaster."

Other infraction notices and fines related to the licensing of mining activities may be applied by the State Environmental Foundation (Feam).