新湖畔网 （随信APP) | 伦敦法庭审议2015年巴西矿难

破裂的大坝释放出厚厚的红色有毒泥浆 - 版权AFP ADEK BERRY

Lucie LEQUIER

周一在伦敦开庭审理澳大利亚矿业巨头必和必拓是否应对巴西历史上最严重环境灾难之一负责，可能导致数十亿美元的赔偿分配给数十万人。

英国首都的高等法院将在几个月内审查必和必拓是否部分责任2015年在巴西一个矿业废料场发生的大坝坍塌事件。

这次破裂造成19人死亡，并释放出大量浓稠有毒泥浆淹没村庄、田地、雨林、河流和海洋。

矿石废料场中的Fundao尾矿坝位于米纳斯吉拉斯州的一座铁矿山，由必和必拓和巴西矿业公司淡马锡共同拥有的Samarco公司管理。

事故发生时，必和必拓在英国和澳大利亚设有全球总部。

巴西的另一起案件中，巴西巨头淡马锡和必和必拓提出赔偿近300亿美元。在伦敦审理前夕，这一数额从近250亿美元增加到了近300亿美元。

伦敦民事审理中寻求的赔偿金额估计为360亿英镑（470亿美元），代表620,000多名原告，包括46个巴西市镇、公司和土著民族。

– '正义？' –

“现在已经快九年了，却没有人被追究责任，”提起此案的律师事务所Pogust Goodhead的汤姆·古德海德在法院外告诉法新社。

“虽然这不是一场刑事审判，但作为一种让公司负责和承担责任的方式，”加入寻求正义的古德海德说，并有受害者的亲属陪同。

横幅上写着“他们会得到正义吗？”并显示出死者的照片。

马里亚纳市的悲剧释放了近4500万立方米高度有毒的矿渣泥浆，淹没39个城镇，使600多人无家可归。

这场洪水导致数千只动物死亡，摧毁了受保护的热带雨林。

“过去的九年真的很艰难，但我必须坚强，”在法院外的格尔瓦娜·罗德里格斯说道。她七岁的儿子蒂亚戈在大坝坍塌后遇难。

“我的希望是在这里找到正义，在巴西，这是无望的。”

– 第一阶段 –

这次听证会预计将持续到三月，必须确定必和必拓对灾难的潜在责任。

如果确定有责任，另一场审判将于2026年十月举行，确定赔偿数额。

必和必拓表示，伦敦的这场案件是不必要的，因为巴西正在进行法律程序。

在周一向法院提出的开庭陈词中，公司主要论点是“并未拥有或操作该大坝或任何相关设施”。

该公司估计在伦敦案件中有超过200,000名原告已经获得赔偿。

必和必拓补充称，管理赔偿和康复项目的Renova基金会已经支付了超过79亿美元的紧急援助。

这家澳大利亚矿业巨头表示，受到污染的河水质量已恢复至灾难前的水平。

然而，今年在法国-巴西地理学评论Confins发表的一篇科学论文称，大坝破裂导致了对多塞河及其沿海平原的“永久性污染影响”。

2019年，淡马锡拥有的另一座尾矿坝在米纳斯吉拉斯州坍塌，造成270人死亡，并破坏周边环境。

必和必拓正考虑是否重新提出对英国竞争对手安哥洛美洲的收购要约。今年5月拒绝了一个490亿美元的收购要约。

根据英国规则，必和必拓被允许在六个月休息后于11月29日重新提出新的要约。

burs-bcp/rlp

The ruptured dam unleashed a deluge of thick, red toxic mud - Copyright AFP ADEK BERRY

Lucie LEQUIER

A trial to determine whether Australian mining giant BHP is liable for one of Brazil’s worst environmental disasters opened Monday in London, potentially triggering billions of dollars in compensation to be shared among hundreds of thousands of people.

The High Court in the British capital will examine over several months whether BHP is partly liable for the 2015 collapse of a dam at a mining waste site in Brazil.

The rupture killed 19 people and unleashed a deluge of thick toxic mud into villages, fields, rainforest, rivers and the ocean.

The Fundao tailings dam at an iron ore mine in the mountains of Minas Gerais state was managed by Samarco, co-owned by BHP and Brazilian miner Vale.

At the time of the disaster, BHP had global headquarters in Britain and Australia.

A separate case in Brazil has seen Vale and BHP offer to pay almost $30 billion in compensation. This was increased on the eve of the London trial from almost $25 billion.

The amount of damages sought in the London civil trial is estimated at £36 billion ($47 billion), on behalf of more than 620,000 plaintiffs, including 46 Brazilian municipalities, companies and indigenous peoples.

– 'Justice?' –

“It’s nearly nine years on now and no one has been held accountable,” Tom Goodhead, of law firm Pogust Goodhead which brought the case, told AFP outside the court.

“Whilst this isn’t a criminal trial, it acts as a way of holding the company liable and accountable,” added Goodhead, who was joined by relatives of victims.

“Will they get justice?” read a banner which showed photos of those killed.

The tragedy in the town of Mariana unleashed almost 45 million cubic metres of highly toxic mining waste sludge, flooding 39 towns and leaving more than 600 people homeless.

The flood killed thousands of animals and devastated protected tropical rainforest.

“It’s been really difficult these last nine years but I have to be strong,” said Gelvana Rodrigues outside court. Her seven-year-old son, Thiago, was killed following the dam’s collapse.

“My hope is to find justice here. In Brazil, it is hopeless.”

– First stage –

The hearing, set to last until March, must determine BHP’s potential liability for the disaster.

If it is ruled liable, another trial would take place from October 2026 to determine the damages.

BHP has said the London case is unnecessary because of ongoing legal procedures in Brazil.

In opening submissions to the court Monday, the company laid out as a central argument that it “did not own or operate the dam or any related facilities”.

The company estimated that more than 200,000 plaintiffs in the London case had already been compensated.

BHP added that the Renova Foundation, which manages compensation and rehabilitation programmes, has already paid out more than $7.9 billion in emergency aid.

The Australian mining giant said the quality of river water contaminated by the fallout has returned to pre-disaster levels.

However, a scientific paper published this year in the Franco-Brazilian geography review Confins said the dam rupture had caused “permanent effects of pollution” on the river Doce and its coastal plain.

In 2019, another tailings dam owned by Vale collapsed in Minas Gerais, killing 270 people and devastating the surrounding environment.

The London trial opened as BHP weighs whether to mount a renewed bid for British rival Anglo American. One $49 billion takeover was rejected in May.

BHP is allowed to come back with a fresh offer on November 29 following a six-month break, according to UK rules.

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