​Nova Lima, February 11 – On Tuesday, (2/11), Vale initiated level 2 of the Emergency Action Plan for Mining Dams (PAEBM) of the Capitão do Mato dam, at the homonymous mine, located in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Due to the volume of rainfall recorded in the region – higher than the historical average –, some devices of the structure pointed to temporary variations in water level, although it has already returned to normal levels. As a preventive measure, the dam will remain under level 2 until the technical analysis of the history and current conditions of the structure is completed. With these "As-Is" studies underway, we will soon be conducting new technical discussions with the independent audit company to reassess the situation.

All residents of the Self-Rescue Zone (ZAS) had already been reallocated in November last year due to reinforcement works on the Vargem Grande dam.

The Capitão do Mato dam is a sediment containment dam built by the ETD method, with conventional earthfill. In addition to routine field inspections, the dam is monitored on an ongoing basis by the Geotechnical Monitoring Center and through several devices, including piezometers, radars, robotic stations, and video cameras.

 It is also worth mentioning that the escalation to level 2 will not affect Vale's 1Q20 production plan.