The work to de-characterize the B3/B4 dam at the Mar Azul mine in Nova Lima (MG) will be completed in 2024, three years earlier than originally planned. More than 88% of the structure's reservoir material has already been removed and the work, which includes stabilizing the remaining natural terrain, installing drainage systems and revegetating the area, is expected to be completed in the second half of next year. The good performance of the remotely operated equipment and the improved internal drainage conditions in the structure allowed the tailings to be removed more quickly than previously expected. The lessons learned will be applied to the other structures in the removal process.

In October of this year, the progress of the de-characterization process also led to an improvement in the stability conditions of the dam, allowing the National Mining Agency to reduce the emergency level of the structure from 2 to 1.

The work to remove the tailings from B3/B4 was carried out entirely by remote-controlled equipment. This technology, developed by Vale in partnership with suppliers, allows operators to work outside the risk area, in a safe environment structured by the company about 15 kilometers from the dam, while trucks and excavators remove the material.

The de-characterization of the B3/B4 dam will mean a return to normality in the Macacos neighborhood, where families had to leave their homes in 2019 for safety reasons after the structure's emergency level was raised. Since then, Vale has spared no effort to definitively repair and compensate for the damage caused. In December 2022, the company signed an agreement worth R$500 million for repair actions in the neighborhood, focusing on income transfer, requalification of commerce and tourism, and strengthening of municipal public services, in addition to the demands of the affected communities. The agreement was signed during a hearing at the Minas Gerais Court of Justice, with the participation of the Minas Gerais Public Prosecutor's Office, the State Public Defender's Office, the Municipality of Nova Lima and the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office.