Brazilian state says Vale's $4bn dam offer is too low

18th November 2020 By: Reuters

SAO PAULO – Brazilian miner Vale's proposed settlement of around 21-billion reais ($3.97-billion) following a deadly 2019 dam disaster is too low, the head of the state of Minas Gerais, where the accident happened, said.

After a meeting between authorities and the company about the Brumadinho dam burst in January 2019 that left 270 people dead, the state's Secretary General Mateus Simoes told journalists the state opposed both the amount and some of the terms offered by Vale.

"The value is still far from what we expect," the secretary said late on Tuesday. "We also don't agree with some terms set by Vale".

A further meeting has been scheduled for December 9 and will focus on terms, rather than values, Simoes said.

Vale, which has not disclosed the values involved in the negotiations, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, the company said it would continue to "have a constructive dialogue" with authorities.