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Lessons from the Samarco Disaster1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2016

Baskut TUNCAK
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Abstract

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Keywords

BHPBrazilminingparticipationremedy
Type
Developments in the Field
Information
Business and Human Rights Journal , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , January 2017 , pp. 157 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 

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Footnotes

*

U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes; Visiting Scholar, American University Washington College of Law.

References

1 The author is grateful for the research assistance provided by Claire Duval and Kathleen Left, and contribution of Professor David Hunter, American University Washington College of Law.

2 UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, ‘Brazilian Mine Disaster: “This is not the Time for Defensive Posturing” – UN Rights Experts’ (25 November 2015), http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16803&LangID=E (accessed 6 October 2016).

3 ‘BHP Billiton Shares Fall After UN Accusations on Dam Spill’, Financial Times (26 November 2015), http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9f6e7c4c-9430-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f.html#axzz3sRz4sncK (accessed 6 October 2016); ‘BHP Shares Plunge as Brazil Files Suit Against Dam Owners’, Wall Street Journal (30 November 2015), http://www.wsj.com/articles/BT-CO-20151130-704139 (accessed 6 October 2016).

4 UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, note 2.

5 ‘Brazil Dam Toxic Mud Reaches Atlantic Via Rio Doce Estuary’, BBC News (22 November 2015), http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-34892237 (accessed 6 October 2016).

6 Ana Carolina de Oliveira Neves et al, ‘Neglect of Ecosystems Services by Mining, and The Worst Environmental Disaster in Brazil’ (2016) 14 Natureza & Conservação 25.

7 Graça Adjuto and Olga Bardawil, ‘Mariana Mining Disaster Spread Destruction Over More Than 660 km of Rivers’, EBC Agência Brasil (6 January 2016), http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/geral/noticia/2016-01/mariana-mining-disaster-spread-destruction-over-more-660-km-rivers (accessed 6 October 2016).

8 Global, Justiça, ‘Inside the Vale of Mud: A report on the tailings dam collapse in Brazil’, issuu (14 January 2016)Google Scholar, https://issuu.com/justicaglobal/docs/inside_the_vale_of_mud (accessed 6 October 2016).

9 Kiernan, Paul, ‘Remains of Samarco’s Collapsed Dam Unstable Because of Heavy Rains’, Wall Street Journal (27 January 2016)Google Scholar, http://www.wsj.com/articles/remains-of-samarcos-collapsed-dam-unstable-because-of-heavy-rains-1453926445 (accessed 6 October 2016).

10 Kiernan, Paul, ‘Brazil Dam’s Failure Flooded Region With Toxic Waste, U.N. report says’, Wall Street Journal (25 November 2015)Google Scholar, http://www.wsj.com/articles/brazil-dams-failure-flooded-region-with-toxic-wastes-u-n-report-says-1448494712 (accessed 6 October 2016).

11 UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, ‘Joint Urgent Appeal From Special Procedures’, UA BRA10/2015 (24 November 2015).

12 Kiernan, Paul, ‘Brazilian Judge Rules Vale Shares Responsibility for Catastrophic Dam Break’, Wall Street Journal (21 December 2015)Google Scholar, http://www.wsj.com/articles/brazilian-judge-rules-vale-shares-responsibility-for-catastrophic-dam-break-1450731387 (accessed 6 October 2016).

13 Hoyle, Rhiannon and Peaple, Andrew, ‘Financial Impact of Brazil Dam Catastrophe Weighs on BHP Billiton’, Wall Street Journal (9 November 2015)Google Scholar, http://www.wsj.com/articles/dam-burst-costs-could-break-1-billion-analyst-says-1447043902 (accessed 6 October 2016); Jamie Smyth and Peter Wells, ‘BHP Billiton To Take $1.3 bn Charge Over Brazil Disaster’, Financial Times (28 July 2016), https://next.ft.com/content/2169af98-5482-11e6-9664-e0bdc13c3bef (accessed 6 October 2016).

14 Stempel, Jonathan, ‘BHP Billiton Investors Sue in U.S. Over Brazil Dam Disaster’, Reuters (25 February 2016)Google Scholar, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bhpbilliton-lawsuit-dam-idUSKCN0VY03Y (accessed 6 October 2016); Jackson County Employees’ Retirement System v BHP Billiton Ltd et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-01445.

15 Phillips, Dom, ‘Brazil’s Economy Tanks as Multibillion-Dollar Corruption Scandal Expands’, The Washington Post (16 September 2015)Google Scholar, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/brazils-economy-tanks-as-multibillion-dollar-corruption-scandal-expands/2015/09/15/9ccbc882-5b0a-11e5-8475-781cc9851652_story.html (accessed 6 October 2016).

16 ‘Iron Ore Spot Price (Any Origin): 58.00 USD/dmt for Sep 2016’, Ycharts, https://ycharts.com/indicators/iron_ore_spot_price_any_origin (accessed 6 October 2016).

17 Transparency International, ‘Corruption Perceptions Index 2015’, http://www.transparency.org/cpi2015 (accessed 6 October 2016).

18 UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, ‘Joint Urgent Appeal From Special Procedures’, (July 2016).

19 ‘MPF Cobra R$ 155 bi para Reparar Danos do Rompimento da Barragem da Samarco’, EBC Agência Brasil (3 May 2016), http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/geral/noticia/2016-05/mpf-cobra-r-155-bi-para-reparar-danos-do-rompimento-da-barragem-da-samarco (accessed 6 October 2016).

20 ‘Brazil Files $ 43.5bn Claim over Fatal Disaster’, BBC News (4 May 2016), http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36199607 (accessed 6 October 2016).

21 The Interfederative Committee was designed to be dominated by representatives of the municipal, federal and state governments, tasked to determine objectives, validate projects and programmes, and review progress and achievements against the objectives of the remediation and compensation programmes. It will have 12 members, of which only three are to be representatives of the affected communities (two from Minas Gerais and one from Espírito Santo). The Agreement did not determine the appointment process of these three community members. Moreover, the available information suggests that there is no clear methodology for determining how key issues shall be identified and given priority for action, or whether consensus or non-consensus decision-making shall apply.

22 The Advisory Council will reportedly have 17 members, five of which will be assigned to the affected communities (three from the state of Minas Gerais and two from the state of Espírito Santo). The Advisory Council can only issue ‘non-binding recommendations’ (clause 218).

23 Ibid.

24 ‘Brazil Prosecutors Could Scupper Samarco Dam Settlement’, Financial Times (18 February 2016), http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6e51b9dc-d641-11e5-969e-9d801cf5e15b.html#axzz471I6krnz (accessed 6 October 2016).

25 ‘BHP, Vale to Fight Reinstated $6 Billion Claim for Samarco Disaster’, Reuters (1 July 2016), http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bhp-billiton-samarco-claim-idUSKCN0ZH3I8 (accessed 6 October 2016).