Vale continues to work together with public authorities to provide clarifications to the population of Barão de Cocais (Minas Gerais). On 20/3, independent auditors hired by Vale found divergent data between the two monitoring systems of the Sul Superior dam at the Gongo Soco mine. For this reason, on Friday (22/3), Vale preventively initiated level 3 of the Emergency Action Plan for Mining Dams (PAEBM) after the independent audit team reported that the dam was at imminent risk of rupture. The level 3 warning siren was then activated as per the PAEBM's protocol.
 
All residents of the Self-Rescue Zone (ZAS) were removed from the site on February 8. Now at level 3, public authorities will identify and guide the residents of the Secondary Safety Zone (ZSS).
 
The coordinator of Vale's Immediate Response Committee Marcelo Klein visited the site and reinforced the actions taken by the relevant authorities. "In a crisis management situation, it is important that people stay calm, alert, and attentive to all the instructions provided. Please, trust and rest assured that the public authorities have a huge and very qualified team working behind the scenes and thinking of every detail to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone at the Secondary Safety Zone," he said.
 
Vale reiterates that it continues to adopt a series of preventive measures to increase the safety condition of its dams. An information center will be set up at the Municipal Office of Education to clarify questions from the residents of the ZSS.
 
The Sul Superior dam is one of Vale's remaining inactive dams constructed using the upstream method and will be included in the decommissioning plan announced by the company.
 
Information Channel: 0800 031 0831
 
What is the Self-Rescue Zone?
According to Ordinance DNPM No. 70,389/2017, the Self-Rescue Zone (ZAS) comprises the valley downstream of the dam, where alert warnings to the population must be made by the entrepreneur given the lack of time for an intervention by the relevant authorities in case of an emergency. Its delimitation must be the highest of the following distances: an area extending up to 10 km or the equivalent to the arrival of the flood wave in 30 minutes, as defined in the respective PAEBMs.
 
What is the Secondary Safety Zone?
According to Ordinance DNPM No. 70,389/2017, the Secondary Safety Zone is the area in the flooding map other than the Self-Rescue Zone (ZAS).