COMMITMENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING Dear client, As described in our Force Majeure letter, on the 5th of November one of Samarco’s tailings dams burst at our Germano industrial unit in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. We are deeply distressed about the overall impact caused to the communities and the environment. Throughout this period, ever since the first moment, we have mobilized all resources, both human and financial, to respond to the emergencies, seek for solutions and clarify the facts. We are working incessantly and receiving a lot of support from many sides, essential at a moment like this. Our work continues, with a multitude of actions focused on the short, medium and long term. We are hereby sharing with you information, clarifications and a preliminary overview of the actions carried out so far. Our intention is regularly inform you through this channel. We will continue doing the right thing. This is our commitment, this is Samarco’s commitment.
Roberto Carvalho Commercial Director
THE ACCIDENT, EMERGENCY ACTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS During the concentration stage of Samarco’s iron ore, silica and slime based fraction of the ore, called tailings, is stored in two dams called Germano and Fundão. The drainage water of these dams flows to a dam named Santarém. On the 5th of November, the Fundão dam had a global rupture and its tailings flooded the Santarém dam, causing partial erosion to the top of the Santarém structure. The event also caused damage to the Selinha dike, one of the side walls of the Germano dam. A volume of approximately 36 million m3 of tailings directly hit the community of Bento Rodrigues and went down to the Gualaxo do Norte River, then the Doce River and reaching the sea. The path of the turbidity plume impacted riverside towns in the States of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo both located in the southeast of Brazil. Immediately after the accident, Samarco in conjunction with Civil Defense, Fire Department, Military Police and other competent institutions, initiated the implementation of the actions outlined in its Dam Emergency Action Plan, besides many other actions requested by the authorities. The tailings from Fundão dam were analyzed by SGS Geosol, a company specialist in environmental and geochemical evaluation of soils. Their report confirms that the material is not toxic to people as it does not generate water contaminants, even when exposed to rain.
FUNDÃO DAM SELINHA DIKE GERMANO DAM
SANTARÉM DAM Map of the dams of Samarco before the accident
HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT The relatives of the 5* missing people and the 14* people who unfortunately lost their lives are also being fully supported by Samarco. Examples of what the company has been doing to assist the population affected are listed below: • Accommodation of 1,300 families at lodges, hotels and homes of relatives right after the accident. They receive daily assistance, staple food, clothing and medications. • 115 families have already been accommodated at rented properties. • Supply of almost 46,000 meals, between lunch, breakfast, and snacks. • Health assistance in cooperation with health care from City Halls, besides psychosocial support to 649 families affected. • Financial support to families impacted and those who lost their income from activities related to the Doce River. *Official data forwarded by the Fire Department (updated on 12/7)
INVESTIGATIONS The investigations about the causes of the accident are being undertaken by competent authorities and Samarco is supplying them with all of the necessary information for it. In parallel, Samarco is hiring international institutions which are also engaged in thorough investigation of all aspects of the accident. The objective is that the data collected – involving the areas of geotechnical engineering,
GERMANO AND SANTARÉM DAMS ARE STABLE Currently, the safety factor of the Santarém dam is 1.38. This means that its safety factor is 38% greater than the minimum equilibrium point (1.00). In the case of the Selinha dike, one of the auxiliary structures of the Germano dam, the safety factor is 1.22, in other words, 22% greater than the minimum equilibrium point. To reach the value of 1.5, minimum required under normal operating conditions accordingly to Brazilian standard NBR 13028, Samarco is performing emergency works for containment of sediments and reinforcement of the dams structures. In Santarém dam, the interventions have the objective of recovering the spillway, reconstruction of the crest of the dam and construction of a reinforcement buttress. The objective is to avoid continuous erosion. Regarding the spillway (structure that allows the excess water to flow from the dam reservoir), engineers are studying the options of either recovering or replacing it. At the Germano dam, in order to increase the safety of its auxiliary dikes, a reinforcement buttress is being built with rocks. The works at Santarém dam and Selinha dike are forecasted to be concluded within 90 and 45 days, respectively. It is important to remember that the structures of these dams are stable.
geology, seismology and soil mechanics – help in the identification of the accident’s cause and also contribute to potential improvements in the production and safety procedures. Due to the complexity of the accident, there is no set date for the conclusion of the investigations.
Brazilian standard NBR 13028
Safety factor foreseen in the rule in normal operating conditions
Safety factor of the Selinha dike 1,22 22% over the statement limit.
1,5 1,37
Safety factor of the Santarém dam 37% over the minimum statement point.
1 Minimum
statement point.
0
MONITORING
Samarco’s control room, which already complies with the current Brazilian regulation, has further enhanced the monitoring of the dikes and the dams. Nowadays, monitoring is taking place with the assistance of cameras, large screens, drones, radars, scanners and field inspections, involving a team of over 40 people is monitoring 24/7 the safety conditions of the Santarém and Germano dams.
COMMUNITIES RECEIVE FULL SUPPORT FROM SAMARCO Since the 5th of November, the communities affected by the accident have received all support from Samarco in terms of lodging, food, schooling and financial resources, among others. The emergency actions will continue to be carried out until definitive solutions are established in common accord with the residents and authorities.
For the rehabilitation of the impacted communities, Samarco has been working with ERM, an international consultant with experience in environmental, health, social services and security. This company will take care of the reestablishment of the day to day life of the communities, involving, among other actions, the resettlement of families, all in compliance with international standards.
ACTING SINCE THE BEGINNING SOME NUMBERS OF THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY SAMARCO SINCE THE ACCIDENT OF THE DAMS ON 11/5, INCLUDING THE FULL ASSISTANCE TO THE FAMILIES AFFECTED, WITH THE SUPPLY OF FOOD, PERSONAL HIGIENE, MEDICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASSISTANCE.
Drinking Water made available
266 million liters
Mineral Water made available
5 million liters
Schools back in operation with school kits
Families settled in rented homes
115
Animals rescued and attended
4.687
100% of the schools
Families placed in hotels/lodges
139
Water analysis performed: 6.760 In the Doce River, 531 in the Sea
Families with psychosocial assistance
648 families 100%
Of the communities with reestablished access
Infrastructure and support for the rescue of fish in the river:
Health agents hired
150 thousand fish
85
rescued
GOVERNADOR VALADARES - 50 million liters of drinking water. - 2 million liter of mineral water. - 85 health agents hired.
ACTION MAP Know the cities and districts affected by the accident of the dam and part of the work performed at the locations.
MAIN CITIES/DISTRICTS WHERE THERE IS A COLLECTION POIST TO MONITOR THE QUALITY OF THE WATER.
BENTO RODRIGUES - Over 600 people accommodated in lodges and hotels after the accident. - 54 families already living in the rented and furnished homes. - 93 students back to school. - Support to the reissuance of personal documents. - Financial assistance to family core, besides staple foods. - Psychosocial support to all people affected. PARACATU DE CIMA E DE BAIXO - 361 people accommodated in lodges and hotels after the accident. - 13 families already living in rented and furnished. - 66 students back to school. - Open access to the district. - Financial support for each family core, besides staple foods. - Installation of siren to alert the community to prevent further accident.
DATA FROM DECEMBER 2ND
BARRA LONGA - 135 families accommodated at the house of relatives and friend after the accident. - 43 families living in temporary rented and furnished. - 230 thousand liters of drinking water. - 48 thousand liters of mineral water - Approximately 1,000 mattresses distributed. - Cleaning of the streets, houses, business locations and opening - 100 students back to school. - Renovation of the kindergarten schools. - 3 thousand staple foods.
REHABILITATION PLAN WILL MITIGATE IMPACTS It is not yet possible to have a complete idea of the dimensions of the environmental impact. What we can affirm is that all efforts are being made to minimize the changes caused not only to the river itself, but mainly to the riverside communities. Specialized companies have been engaged to prevent, handle and remedy the impacts. Golder, a worldwide renowned firm with expertise in accidents of this nature, will perform a diagnosis of the damage to the Doce River and the requirements for its rehabilitation. Samarco is also investing in other partnerships for the reclamation of the river, such as Instituto Terra, run by the internationally famous photographer SebastiĂŁo Salgado.
Financial support cards for the families. Initial delivery of
Proper attention is also being provided to the local fauna and flora. In the region of Mariana and Barra Longa, more than 1,000 animals of different species have been rescued. They have been receiving veterinary assistance, proper feed and are being taken care of by professionals from Samarco, NGOs and outsourced companies. Samarco is also distributing consumables and feed (such as corn, cornmeal, and salt, among others) to the more than 3,600 animals which were relocated to farms in the districts of Mariana. Along the Doce River, 40 specialists, including biologists and veterinarians, are working on the rescue of aquatic fauna. The work involved capturing fish and crustaceans, identifying the species and storing material in the gene bank prior to the passage of the turbidity plume.
115 cards
Bridges under constructiond
7 bridges, built 1 concluded
ds
g of paths.
LINHARES - Rescue of fish species. - 1.3 million liters of drinking water. REGĂŠNCIA - Over 1 million liters of drinking water. - Rescue of fish fish species. - 9 km barrier, in the mouth of the Doce River, for the preservation of the local fauna and flora. - Removal of the sand banks located near the mouth for the plume of the turbidity not to find obstacles to reach the sea. - Ferry to monitor the Doce River and the sea.
BAIXO GUANDU - 2.2 million liters of drinking water. - 107 liters of mineral water. - Support in the supply of material and technical follow up for the installation of three adductors to alternatively capture water in Baixo Guandu, performed by the Water and Sewage Treatment Plant (SAAE) and the City Hall of the city. COLATINA - 98 million liters of drinking water. - 3.1 million liters of mineral water. - 60 points of water distribution to the population. - Drilling of artesian wells.
WATER MONITORING Samarco has installed dozens of water
at the homes of the entire population
monitoring points over a stretch of 637 km,
along the Doce River is adequate
between Mariana in Minas Gerais and
for human consumption, according to the
Regência in Espírito Santo. The collected
parameters established by the Brazilian
material undergoes analysis for over
Sanitary Inspection Agency (Anvisa) –
200 quality parameters. The analyses
Ruling 2914/2011. The pH results are also
are being performed by five specialized
normal, between 6 and 9, as established
laboratories and the monitoring plan
by environmental regulations.
has been validated by the most respected experts in water quality in Brazil.
It is important to mention that,
In addition to this, constant quality
supplying water to the communities along
analyses are being carried out in the water
the Doce River who had their water supply
treated for human consumption in the
interrupted or hindered.
as an emergency measure, Samarco began
municipalities along the Doce River. The reports confirm that the water arriving
ADVANCE OF THE TURBIDITY PLUME AT THE SEA The spread of the plume in the sea depends on many factors. The ocean currents, the flowrate of the plume, the percentage of solids and the turbidity are being monitored. In addition, samples of the water, the sediment and the biota (all animal and plant life in the region) are being collected for analyses. Computational modelling has been used to evaluate the potential effect of the particles reaching the sea and the extension of the plume. This tool is fed by real field information related to the meteorological and sea conditions. The monitoring work has received reinforcement from the Brazilian Navy, which took the research vessel Vital de Oliveira to the mouth of the Doce River, in the municipality of Linhares, Espírito Santo. The researchers will help in the physical, chemical, biological and geological characterization of the plume area.
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