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Brazilian mining company ordered to revise repair plan over dams' collapse

Xinhua, January 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Brazilian government has ordered mining giant Samarco to redo its plan for repairing massive damages caused by the collapse of its two tailings dams last November, reports said.

Environment agency IBAMA said it has found Samarco's assessment of the damages caused by a bursting of the dams on Nov. 5 superficial and vague, with little scientific evidence, local TV program Jornal Nacional reported Thursday.

The report also said Samarco did not present a deadline for its environmental recuperation effort.

At least 17 people were killed when a slide of mud and iron ore waste triggered by the dams' collapse rushed down a valley, completely destroying the entire residential neighborhood of Mariana in the southeast state of Minas Gerais.

When the toxic mud reached Doce River, the largest river in the region, it killed animals and severely damaged its rich biodiversity, leaving fishermen without work and even causing problems in energy generation and water distribution. Endi