Vale will soon begin preliminary work on building a second Downstream Containment Structure in the Pontal System in Itabira, Minas Gerais, close to the Minervino and Cordão Nova Vista Dikes. On Wednesday, July 17, the Public Prosecutors’ Office completed an independent technical audit of additional technical information required for the work to start. The project is due to be completed in the first half of 2025. 

The new structure will be built in the Bela Vista neighborhood, near Rua José Marinho Fernandes. It is a preventive measure to reinforce the safety of the local community during the de-characterization work on the dikes. The preliminary work will include clearing vegetation and building access roads. The continued demolition of properties included in the removal process and the legal requirements for this action are being handled together with the Municipal Environment Secretariat. 

Downstream Containment Structure 2 will be approximately 330 meters long and 4.75 meters high at its highest point. It will be built using the same construction method as the Coqueirinho Downstream Containment Structure, a technology that uses circular metal piles. “This technology reduces vibrations, dust generation and noise in order to cause the least possible impact on nearby residents,” explains Luiz Coutinho, the De-Characterization Program’s implementation manager in Itabira. 

The Minervino and Cordão Nova Vista dikes will be de-characterized because they have an upstream construction structure (meaning that they are supported on tailings). The new Downstream Containment Structure aims to retain the tailings contained in the dikes in the event of a breach during the de-characterization work, guaranteeing the safety of people and the environment. In this hypothetical scenario, the Downstream Containment Structure would ensure that the material from the dikes would settle within the Pontal System itself, without reaching the communities. 

The dikes will start to be dismantled after Downstream Containment Structure 2 has been built. The de-characterization of the structures is expected to be completed by 2029. 

As with the construction of the Coqueirinho Downstream Containment Structure, the impacts caused by the construction of Downstream Containment Structure 2 will be controlled and mitigated by the company, and community representatives will be invited to monitor the execution of the work. 

Removals 

The construction of the new containment structure will require the relocation of 17 families. Vale has already contacted the families and the residents to be relocated are being compensated by the company, based on an Agreement signed with the Minas Gerais State Public Defender’s Office. 

More than half of upstream structures in Itabira already eliminated 

Of the total of 10 dams included in the Upstream Dam De-Characterization Program in Itabira, six have already been eliminated. The de-characterization work on Dike 2 ended in October 2023. In September 2022, Ipoema Dam at Meio Mine and Dike 3, also in the Pontal System, were eliminated. Before that, Dikes 4 and 5 in the Pontal System and the Rio do Peixe Dike were removed. These activities were carried out under the supervision of an independent technical audit and public bodies. 

The work on Dike 1A in the Pontal System began in June 2023 and it is due to be completed in December 2024, as is the work on Dike 1B, which began in April of this year. 

The company’s tailings disposal structures in the municipality are permanently monitored by its Geotechnical Monitoring Center. 

Upstream Dam De-Characterization Program 

Since 2019, around R$8.5 billion has been invested in Vale’s De-Characterization Program and 14 of the company’s 30 upstream structures have so far been eliminated in Brazil. The removal of upstream structures is a commitment Vale has made to society, and it has also become a legal obligation. 

The solutions are customized for each structure and are being carried out cautiously, always prioritizing people’s safety, risk reduction and care for the environment. The actions implemented for de-characterization are subject to continuous evaluation and monitoring by independent audits and the authorities.